Juan Carlos Gutierrez, 41, of Decatur, Morgan County, Alabama, United States was arrested in Cullman, Cullman County, Alabama on October 13, 2023. It was part of a child exploitation sting operation conducted by the Cullman Police Department.
Gutierrez is accused of engaging in a text-based message by cellphone with a girl he believed to be 15 years old and agreed to pay $100 to engage in sexual contact with her. He allegedly traveled to meet with the purported girl at a hotel.
The Decatur man was charged with first-degree human trafficking, traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act and electronic solicitation of a child. Including him, eight men were arrested by the Cullman Police Department’s Investigative Division and Tactical Unit.
The investigation into the arrestees is ongoing. More charges are likely to follow and more arrests are expected, according to the Cullman Police Department.
Despite not receiving man child exploitation complaints, the department decided to run the sting operation with the understanding that child exploitation is a problem across the U.S., according to the department’s public information officer Adam Clark. He urged parents to pay attention to their children’s use of social media.
In the operation, the department was assisted by Cullman County district attorney Champ Crocker and the Covenant Rescue Group. Based in Gardendale, Jefferson County, Alabama, the group is a nonprofit comprised of former military special operators and law enforcement personnel committed to putting an end to human trafficking.
CONAN Daily 