Kenner police say a month-long undercover cyber sweep in May ended with 12 arrests and 35 criminal charges tied to alleged online predators operating across several states. According to the department, detectives went undercover on social media, gaming platforms and dating apps, focusing on adults who tried to engage minors. Investigators say the suspects have connections to Louisiana, Texas, Ohio and Michigan, and note that the probe is still active.
Department details and partners
According to a May 28 post from the Kenner Police Department, the operation ran through the department’s newly launched Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) lab and brought in a slate of partner agencies. Investigators from the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, the Livingston Parish and St. Charles Parish sheriff’s offices, the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office and federal partners all took part in the sweep, the department said.
The effort grew out of the Orleans Metro ICAC Task Force announced this winter, a regional lab Attorney General Liz Murrill unveiled in February to centralize digital forensics and triage incoming cybertips, as reported by Fox 8 and WDSU.
Arrests and alleged offenses
The department’s post included an OCR transcript listing people arrested during the sweep, including Carlos Carranza, Cody Ritchey Sr., Connor Westbrook, David Berniard Jr. and Dominic Thompson. Charges in the post include computer-aided solicitation of a minor, indecent behavior with a juvenile and indecent behavior described as grooming. Officials emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that additional charges could still be filed. All those arrested are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law…