Collin County authorities arrest 15 men, including Fort Worth man, for solicitation of minors online

COLLIN COUNTY, Texas – Law enforcement officials arrested 15 men in Collin County suspected of robbing children online. One of those men was an associate rector at a church in Fort Worth.

The Collin County Sheriff's Office announced the arrests Wednesday as part of Operation Home Alone.

The men who were arrested live throughout North Texas, but investigators say they went to Collin County to meet what they thought were juveniles. It turned out they were undercover investigators.

The suspects include 10 men who were charged with online solicitation of a minor. They are Gregory Joseph Jr., Lee Mourning, Benjamin Renfro, Jerrold Allen, Kenneth Rodriguez, Brent Allen, Jason MyersOscar Rosas Martinez, Vishal Mishra and Michael Salyer.

(Collin County Sheriff's Office)

Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Worth confirmed that one of the arrested men was an associate rector at the church. Rev. Jason Myers was suspended after he was arrested Thursday, according to a letter from the church to its members. The church said it had no reason to believe anyone in the congregation was harmed, but asked anyone with information to contact the church and law enforcement.

Five other men face charges of soliciting a prostitute under the age of 18. They include Michael Chattin, Isaias Torres-Loera, Sean Mankin, Matthew McGee and Isai De Los Santos Guijarro.

Operation Home Alone was a three-day undercover operation conducted by Collin County Sheriff's Deputies, Plano Police, Dallas Police and Texas DPS. Investigators within the Child Exploitation Unit went underground.

Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner says the men traveled to Collin County to meet at undisclosed locations to have sex with minors. Instead, they were arrested.

“And then there were several days in which our ghost unit had to track these individuals down to catch them,” he said. “In fact, one individual attempted to evade arrest and crashed his car into a vehicle occupied by a deputy US marshal. These are dangerous people.”

During the operation, investigators seized a large number of electronic devices that the sheriff's office said the suspects used to commit their crimes.

“This should serve as a reminder to parents of the dangers of internet communications, cell phones, gaming devices and computers; they are hunting grounds,” the sheriff said.

Sheriff Skinner says the operation is ongoing. He assures that investigators are constantly searching the Internet for people who prey on children.

“Please understand and know what your children are doing with these devices. It is extremely dangerous,” he said.

The suspects could face additional charges after their devices undergo a forensic examination.

Drugs and two firearms were also seized during the investigation.