COPPERAS COVE, TX — Six men were arrested in a child exploitation sting operation by the Attorney General's Office.
The Attorney General's Office worked with the Copperas Cove Police Department to conduct the sting. It was a three-day operation. Five of the men were charged with online solicitation of a minor, and one man was arrested for prostitution.
The arrested suspects include:
- Josef James Dilly, 31, of Copperas Cove, arrested November 20 on one count of Online Solicitation of a Minor.
- Victor Manuel Vascot, 45, of Killeen, arrested November 20 on one count of Online Solicitation of a Minor.
- Isaac Figueroa Jr., 28, of Round Rock, arrested on November 21 on one count of Online Solicitation of a Minor.
- Justin Earl Kepler, 31, of Lampasas, arrested on November 21 on one count of Online Solicitation of a Minor.
- Jesse Franklin Quidachay, 37, of Copperas Cove, arrested on November 21 on one count of Online Solicitation of a Minor.
- Demerick Deon Hearne, 47, of Copperas Cove, arrested November 20 on one count of Prostitution.
All of the men arrested were transferred to the Coryell County Jail.
“The grotesque targeting of children is a nationwide issue, and this serves as a reminder that our communities must remain vigilant to protect the most vulnerable from exploitation,” said Attorney General Paxton. “I thank the hard-working investigators with my office’s Child Exploitation Unit and Human Trafficking Unit, and the brave police officers of Copperas Cove Police Department for stopping these child-predators from potentially harming more innocent children.”
Attorney General Paxton’s office said they work to protect children by using the latest technology to track down online predators. Since its inception, the Child Exploitation Unit has made 264 arrests and obtained 194 convictions on charges of Online Solicitation of a Minor.
