CHELAN COUNTY — Detectives from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office joined a regional task force last week in a two-day sting targeting suspected child predators in the Spokane area.
The operation, called “Operation Liberty Lake,” was led by the Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), an affiliate of the national Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) network. Local, state, and federal agencies collaborated in the effort, which focused on identifying and arresting individuals who allegedly attempted to solicit sex from underage children online.
The sting resulted in the arrest of 13 suspects, with another case pending federal indictment. Chelan County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sergeant Brian Lewis served as a team leader during the operation, while Detective Cy Bowthorpe assisted by securing key search warrants…