A joint operation between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies has resulted in five arrests of individuals suspected of seeking to engage in sexual activities with minors.
During the operation, officers identified five people suspected of seeking to engage in sexual activities with minors ranging from 12 to 14 years old.
The five suspects arrested include:
Joseph R. Klemish, 29.
William D. McLaughlin, 30
Joshua C. Romero, 24.
Patrick M. Kendall, 39.
Sutthimeth Phongklang, 44.
Durango police partnered with Homeland Security, La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation as part of the investigation.
Durango Police Chief Bob Brammer said in a news release that DPD and the partnering agencies will continue to identify and target individuals who seek to exploit or prey on children.
Deputy Police Chief Brice Current said DPD wants to keep the specifics of its operation secret to ensure its continued success. But he said the DPD and its partner organizations do not lure individuals into any sort of trap to catch them.
“We don’t entice individuals, or put out any unfair advances. They contact us, and we follow up on their advances,” he said.
Current said it is sad when the department runs these types of operations and learns there are predators seeking to harm children.
“It’s not like your normal traffic investigation where every day you’re out there running traffic; a lot of these groups can go under the radar,” he said. “You’re really not protecting your community if you’re not running operations to find those individuals.”
According to Current, educating parents can be a helpful tool in preventing potential issues with individuals seeking to harm children online. He said parents can make sure they know what apps their children are using and who they’re communicating with to help prevent children from associating with predators.
“In law enforcement, we’re nothing without our partners, and the best partners we can have are parents,” Current said. “If any parent was to sit in with us on an operation, it would change their view on how safe their community is. People think to be unsafe you have to be in a dark alley in a criminal area, but realistically you can be sitting in your living room on your computer.”
njohnson@durangoherald.com
