"Net Nanny" operation leads to seven arrests

Seven men were arrested in Grant County over the course of several days as part of an operation identifying individuals allegedly involved in the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, after a multi-agency law enforcement effort, officials said late last month.

The multi-day operation involved the Washington State Patrol (WSP), local Grant County law enforcement agencies and several partner agencies. The cases will be reviewed by the Grant County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to determine whether or what criminal charges should be filed.

“The Grant County Prosecutor’s Office was proud to partner with various state, federal and local Grant County law enforcement agencies in the first post-Covid Net Nanny Operation in the state,” said Grant County Prosecutor Kevin McCrae. “These law enforcement agencies are sending a clear message that the exploitation and abuse of children will not be tolerated. This is a message we proudly support. Individuals who abuse and steal the innocence of children, in person or online, are some of the most heinous and despicable crimes we deal with. The Grant County Prosecutor’s Office will continue to support these operations to ensure the safety of children in our community.”

Dubbed “Operation Net Nanny,” it was the 19th operation spearheaded by the WSP’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), an Internet Crimes Against Children affiliate. Since the original operation in August of 2015, MECTF has netted a total of 301 arrests and rescued more than 31 children across the state, the task force said.

MECTF’s primary mission was to proactively target those persons involved in child abuse and child exploitation via the internet.

“While the internet is a powerful tool for us all, criminals using it to target our communities necessitates a need for this type of proactive investigation by our law enforcement troopers and partners in order to combat these horrible crimes,” said WSP Chief John R. Batiste. “This operation is aimed at protecting our vulnerable children and making our communities safer.”

Crimes investigated included second-degree rape of a child, communication with a minor for immoral purposes, and sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to the Washington State Patrol, those arrested were Abraham Calderon, 19, Moses Lake; Omar Ivan Macinas-Garza, 39, Grandview; Fulgencio Ramos, 21, Quincy; Robert Jeffrey Bancroft, 20, Marysville; Joshua Kenneth Leonard, 44, Omak; Jerardo Ramon Reyes, 29, Moses Lake; and Mason Pilling, 27, Moses Lake.

The collaborative effort involved more than 80 law enforcement officers, agents, and staff from 13 agencies across the state.