In relation to an April child predator sting, Washington County authorities detained a guy on Friday and are looking for potential new victims.
Detectives from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office pretended to be minors on social media and dating apps as part of an undercover operation. A number of people contacted the accounts on the internet and volunteered to meet with individuals they thought were offering sex and were underage. Rather, they encountered law enforcement officers upon their arrival.
The sheriff’s office reported that four people were taken into custody. However, during the April 4 sting, 33-year-old Joseph Lee Lyons made no attempt to meet with a youngster.
He continued to conduct sexually explicit communications with a detective who was pretending to be a youngster for several months, according to the sheriff’s office. In November, a grand jury in Washington County indicted him on multiple charges of enticing a kid and sexually corrupting a youngster online.
Lyons was taken into custody and charged in the Washington County jail on Friday. He posted 10% of a $25,000 bail for his release after entering a not guilty plea to the charges on Monday.
Joseph Lyons, who was detained Friday, told detectives he had seen several youngsters in person after establishing connections with them online, according to Washington County authorities.The Washington County Sheriff’s Office provided this image.
He informed detectives that he connected with several minors online and then met them in person, according to the sheriff’s office.
Anyone with information regarding Lyons or his past interactions with children is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 503-846-2500.
Additionally, Portland police said on Wednesday that they collaborated with many law enforcement organizations to carry out a similar sting last week, in which officers pretended to be juveniles on the internet. According to police, Jesse Pitre, 35, and Justin Larson, 38, made an effort to meet face-to-face with individuals they thought were youngsters.
They were taken into custody and charged with, among other things, enticing a juvenile and sexually corrupting a child internet.
In a news release, Police Bureau Lt. Nathan Sheppard, who leads Portland’s Child Abuse Team, stated, “I want child predators to be concerned when they go online.” We’re actively trying to find and apprehend them, and I want them to know that.
For The Oregonian/OregonLive, Zaeem Shaikh writes about criminal justice problems and the Portland Police Bureau. You can reach him on X@zaeemshake or at 503-221-4323, [email protected].
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