Bryan Conn
James Mohr
Charles Hernandez
Silver City -- Three Grant County men were arrested for child solicitation by electronic communication device, as a result of a special operation led by the Silver City Police Department (SCPD) to identify and arrest people who are trying to solicit sex with minors via the internet. Arrested were Charles Robert Hernandez, 35, of Silver City, who was also charged with possession of a controlled substance; James R. Mohr, 26, of San Lorenzo; and Bryan Keith Conn, 47, of Hurley.
The special operation, conducted in the first week of February, was led by Detective Sergeant Daniel Tavizon, with assistance from another SCPD detective, in collaboration with the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which includes the District Attorney's office and area Homeland Security officers. All undercover officers assigned to this operation have received specialized ICAC training.
"The bottom line is this: parents and other child caretakers need to carefully monitor their internet use," said Police Chief Freddie Portillo. "As the Silver City Police Department, we are taking a proactive approach to protect children here in Grant County, but the real protection must begin at home. This problem of child solicitation is bigger than we think, and it's easier than we believe for sex predators to make contact with potential victims."
Det. Sgt. Tavizon and the other SCPD detective, (who is remaining anonymous in order to avoid compromising future operations) said they were surprised by how quickly and easily they were able to engage with the men arrested. Tavizon said he was working online, refining his skills following the ICAC training, when he encountered his first solicitor.
"We were very surprised by how quickly we began to identify these individuals," he said. "I'm just glad we were able to get these people off the street." ICAC operations guidelines are very specific, and must be adhered to closely in order to develop a solid case for arrest and conviction, added Tavizon, who is the father of three children.
SCPD Captain Melinda Hobbs said she was "shocked" when it became clear that the three individuals who tried to solicit sex with a minor were all local men. "We thought we would get people from Arizona (one individual from Tucson was nearly caught, but ultimately ended communications before a meeting could be arranged), maybe other places in the Southwest, but not right here, close to home," she said. "This is really very scary, especially given the rural nature of this area. A child could meet up with a sexual predator, something goes wrong ... and hiding a body is very easy to do. This should all hit very close to home."
Captain Hobbs, Chief Portillo and Det. Sgt. Tavizon urge parents to talk to their children about the dangers of internet solicitation. "Tell them to never meet with anyone alone for any reason," said Hobbs. "Online, you never know who you're really chatting with."
"I'm so proud of the detectives and the patrol officers who were involved in this operation, which they undertook in addition to their regular duties, because they are passionate about protecting our children and our community," said Portillo.
The case was brought as part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force's mission to locate, track, and capture internet child sexual predators or internet child pornographers in New Mexico. More than ninety federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies are associated with the task force, which is funded by an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) grant administered by the New Mexico Department of Justice. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators is encouraged to contact their federal or local law enforcement agency, or make an anonymous report through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, http://www.missingkids.org/cybertiplin or by calling 1-800-THE-LOST, (1-800-843-5678).