By: Jeff Devine
The Wetumpka Police Department (WPD) announced that nine suspects are now in custody following a multi-agency undercover operation that focused on catching those involved in the crime of child exploitation.
The Wetumpka Police Dept. partnered with the Elmore County District Attorney’s Office, Autauga County Sheriff’s Office, Covenant Rescue Group, and the Eclectic Police Department.
Those arrested include:
Errick B. Smith, 35, of Montgomery
Whitley J. Brown, 32, of Montgomery
Willie N. Watts, 37, of Montgomery
Contravious J. Jackson, 19, of Elmore
Tyrone L. Dabney, 31, of Montgomery
Miguel Tello Lugo, 28, of Opelika
Jacarlo B. Abner, 40, of Montgomery
Demario Nicholson, 35, of Pine Hill
Ryan David Wilson, 27, of Atlanta, GA
Each of the men faces charges of human trafficking, traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act, and electronic solicitation of a child. All suspects are being held without bond at the Elmore County Jail.
According to the Wetumpka Police, the suspects engaged in online conversations with people they believed were minors before they then arranged to meet for illicit purposes. The men were unaware they were chatting online with police officers. Once the men arrived at the sting location, police officers took them into custody.
The Dale County Chronicle has contacted the Wetumpka Police for more details and will update the information when new details become available.
Investigators issued a statement warning parents of the need to remain “vigilant about your children’s online activity” and report concerns to local law enforcement.
These arrests come as law enforcement agencies across the state have increased their effort to arrest and hold accountable those who have harmed or would harm children.
During the previous presidential administration, then-President Joe Biden instructed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to start the Know2Protect initiative, which focuses on identifying and preventing human trafficking and sexual abuse, including those involving children. Under that program, which started in 2023, nearly 5,000 individuals have been arrested for child sexual abuse and exploitation/human trafficking-related crimes.
The program includes tools and updated technology to help law enforcement agencies across the country combat this terrible problem. The Know2Protect Campaign has continued under the Trump administration’s DHS, and the Department of Justice announced earlier this year the arrests of 205 individuals, including three men in Alabama.
These crimes are pervasive and affect the most vulnerable in our society.
A recent report conducted in the U.S. Senate found disturbing reports of sexual abuse, including abuse of children, in immigration camps and other facilities operated as part of the government’s efforts to catch and deport undocumented immigrants. Our investigation and report on this will be provided in a comprehensive follow-up story.
Last year, the Dale County Sheriff’s Department held a two-day undercover sting called “Creepin’ it Real,” where officers posed as underage children online.
Six men were arrested for traveling to meet a child for sex, and Michael Hatcher was charged with promoting prostitution. “Each of the defendants arrested initiated contact with our undercovers and began engaging in sexually explicit contact almost immediately,” said Sheriff Mason Bynum.
The operation was stopped when one suspect arrived with a three-year-old. “He brought a three-year-old,” Bynum said. “He told our undercovers that he wanted to impregnate both the fifteen-year-olds. We stopped it that time because we thought it was more important to protect the child.”
Deputies said they chatted with more than fifty men online. “Parents, you must restrict children’s access; the monsters are coming through those phones and targeting and luring our children,” Bynum warned.
In Dale County, you can report suspicious behavior to the Dale County Sheriff’s Department by calling (334) 774-3114. You can also contact your local police department. Here are the phone numbers for local police departments in our area:
Daleville Police Department: (334) 598-4442
Ozark Police Department: (334) 774-2644 or after-hours central dispatch (334) 774-5111
Midland City Police- (334) 983-3591
Newton Police Dept.: (334) 299-3777
Ariton Police: (334) 762-2323
Pinckard: (334) 983-3517
*It is the general policy of the Dale County Chronicle to include the following statement at the end of all news reports involving arrests: in our system of justice, all suspects who have been arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
