Nine men were arrested in a weeklong Northwest Arkansas sting after allegedly arranging paid sexual encounters with someone they were told was a 14-year-old girl.
Police affidavits say the suspects answered online ads, agreed to pay $100 to $200, and were taken into custody when they arrived at a meeting spot with cash; all but one later admitted they knew the target was a minor.
Roy Frederick, 32, was identified as a convicted sex offender with a prior child sexual abuse conviction, while Lucino Vázquez allegedly brought marijuana and two suspects — Vázquez and Jose Arguello-Tello — were also placed under federal holds.
The multiday operation was led by Fayetteville police with Arkansas State Police, the ICAC task force, Homeland Security Investigations and other local agencies, underscoring a broader regional crackdown on online child exploitation.
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