A Tenino and a Rochester resident were among the 22 accused sexual predators arrested in a multi-agency and multi-day operation in Thurston County.
The operation was named “Operation Net Nanny” and is the 15th such initiative headed by Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF). Since August 2015, the task force has made 246 arrests and rescued more than 30 children in Washington, according to a WSP press release.
Between Feb. 15-20, undercover officers took to the internet and cellphone applications to communicate with people seeking sexual encounters with children. They received hundreds of responses. The suspects were arrested as they met with the undercover officers posing online as underage girls and boys. Some of the suspects arrived with the intent to have sexual activity with kids as young as 6, according to the press release.
Included in the list of suspects were two residents of southern Thurston County: James E. Stillwell, 40, of Tenino, and Robert L. Kelley, 52, of Rochester.
Anyone with information on the suspects, or information that may lead to the identify of victims potentially involved in their cases is asked to contact MECTF at mectf@wsp.wa.gov.
The operation was a joint effort of more than 70 law enforcement officers, agents and staff spanning 16 agencies.
