(GoRealNewsNow.com) – As part of a law enforcement sting operation, a high school teacher and three other men have been arrested for sending explicit images to or trying to meet people they thought were underage girls online.
40-year-ol Jason Burgess, 36-year-old Samuel Durham, 40-year-old Justin Hastings, and 66-year-old Thomas Ramsey were arrested last week in a coordinated effort between the Kent County Sheriff’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force and the FBI’s West Michigan-Based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX).
According to a police press release undercover detectives set up fake social media accounts pretending to be minors. The men allegedly contacted these accounts, sending and asking for sexually explicit photos and videos.
Two of the men even drove to locations where they believed the underage girls would be to meet them for sex, the sheriff’s office reported.
In addition, the four men are facing charges of child sexually abusive activity, accosting a minor, and using a computer to commit a crime. Two more suspects are expected to be arrested pending further investigation, while one of these suspects, who has not been named, is reportedly from Indiana.
Burgess, who was a high school teacher at Harper Creek Community Schools, resigned following his arrest.
In turn, Superintendent Rob Ridgeway wrote a letter to parents, “The alleged criminal conduct concerns off-duty behavior unrelated to any district activities or students. The teacher has resigned from their teaching position.”
Ridgeway added that the district “took immediate action to ensure the safety of our students” and will cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
The sheriff’s office stated. “Outcomes from undercover operations like these likely cause concern for the Kent County community due to the graphic nature and audacity of the suspects involved.”
It added, “The KCSO is committed to continuing the fight against human sex and labor trafficking and the exploitation of children as we partner with our local, state, and federal partners to make this happen.”
Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, emphasized that the bureau is “fully committed to disrupting and preventing the exploitation of minors, and our collaboration with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office underscores the critical, life-saving efforts our agencies undertake every day.”
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