Four Michigan men, including a high school teacher, have been arrested after they were caught in a sting operation allegedly sending explicit images to or soliciting people they thought were underage girls online.
Jason Burgess, 40, Samuel Durham, 36, Justin Hastings, 40, and Thomas Ramsey, 66, were all arrested last week in a joint operation with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force and the FBI’s West Michigan-Based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX), police said in a press release.
Several undercover detectives placed ads on social media sites posing as minors, leading to contact with the men who allegedly sent and requested sexually explicit photos and videos.
Two of the men went so far as to drive to where they believed the underage girls were to meet them for sex, the sheriff’s office said.
In addition to the four men who have already been charged with child sexually abusive activity, accosting a minor, and using a computer to communicate with another to commit a crime, two more suspects are expected to be arrested pending further investigation.
One of the other suspects, who was not named, is reportedly from Indiana.
Burgess was a high school teacher with Harper Creek Community Schools until he resigned following his arrest, WOODTV reported.
“The alleged criminal conduct concerns off-duty behavior unrelated to any district activities or students. The teacher has resigned from their teaching position,” superintendent Rob Ridgeway wrote in a letter to parents obtained by the outlet.
He added that the district “took immediate action to ensure the safety of our students,” and that it will cooperate with law enforcement’s investigation.
“This joint operation between the Kent County Human Trafficking Task Force and the FBI’s WEBCHEX Task Force was made possible by the teamwork of detectives and many FBI agents behind the scenes,” 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. 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, said 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.”
“Our state has no tolerance for trafficking and, with our partners, we will continue to identify and investigate these criminals for threatening our most vulnerable population,” he added.
