14 Ohio men arrested during online child sex sting

CUYAHOGA COUNTY — An undercover operation that targeted online child predators led authorities to arrest 14 people in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland TV stations 19 News, WOIO and Fox 8, WJW reported.

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The operation occurred over three days, from Oct. 26 to Oct. 29.

It was called “Operation Spider Web” and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led the investigations, a spokesperson from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office said.

The suspects engaged in “sexually explicit online conversations with undercover officers posing as children,” on social media platforms, the spokesperson said.

An arranged location in Cuyahoga County was set and the suspects traveled there planning to have sex but were met by authorities and were arrested, WJW reports.

The spokesperson from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office said some of the suspects were found with condoms, knives, firearms, and petroleum jelly, all of which were confiscated as evidence.

Nearly all the suspects are from the Northeast Ohio area, and they range in age from 22 to 71, WJW reported.

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Timothy Tatko, 55, was one of the suspects arrested in the sting and is an elementary school teacher for the Mentor Public School District, WOIO and WJW reported.

Tatko was placed on administrative leave as the district began its internal investigation, according to a statement from the Mentor Public School District.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley says the following men have been charged:

• Randy Wouters, 33, of Cleveland
• Warren Grugle, 71, of Northfield
• Stephen Simpson, 44, of Warren
• Lucas Black, 24, of Parma
• Timothy Opincar, 54, of Fairview Park
• Alan Radomski, 39, of Richfield
• Gonzalo Villafan, 24, of Cleveland
• Robert Biddle, 22, of Cuyahoga Falls
• Miller Singh, 57, of Cuyahoga Falls
• Shiloh Teiji-Saalim-Moore, 28, of Warrensville Heights
• Neil Deimer, 53, of Ottawa
• Ted Williams, 56, of Cleveland
• Jed Martus, 28, of Akron
• Timothy Tatko, 55, of Mayfield Heights

According to WJW, the charges against the defendants include felonies like:

• Compelling prostitution
• Attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor
• Disseminating matter harmful to juveniles
• Importuning
• Possessing criminal tools

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