10 Arrests in Mesa County Internet Sex Predator Operation
A three-day effort by multiple law-enforcement agencies has resulted in 10 arrests in and around Mesa County.
According to the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, 10 people were arrested for attempting to have sex with children, or engage in prostitution. As part of this undercover operation, investigators posted ads for sex with children on several websites and social media sites.
Charges include internet luring of a child, internet sexual exploitation of a child, enticement of a child, criminal attempt of sexual assault on a child, and soliciting for child prostitution.
Those arrested includes:
*Aaron Kenneth Tyndingco Apatang, 22, Grand Junction
*Steven Brucker, 35, Grand Junction
*Jason Gullion, 40, Grand Junction
*Michael Duane Jones, 57, Grand Junction
*Terry Royster, 57, Grand Junction
*Robert Louis Woodruff III, 34, Gastonia, NC
*Austin James Pierce, 20, (address not given)
Three people were issued a summons to appear in court on charges of prostitution including:
*Kimberly Anderson, 40, (address not given)
*Dustin Kelleher, 40, Fruita
*Jennifer Smith, 49, Clifton
The MCSO reminds everyone these arrested individuals are "presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Agencies participating in the undercover operation included the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, Grand Junction Police Department, Palisade Police Department, Mesa County District Attorney's Office, Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Bureau of Investigations, U.S. Marshall's Service, and the FBI.