Operation Spider Web is a sting operation conducted in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States from October 26-29, 2023. During this period, undercover officers posed as children online.
The undercover officers identified online child exploitation offenders interested in engaging in sexual activity with whom they believed to be minor children. A total of 14 male adults allegedly engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with the officers who they thought were underage children.
During the online conversations, some of the suspects allegedly sent photos of their genitals. Others allegedly offered to pay for sex.
After the online conversations, the suspects allegedly traveled to a pre-arranged meeting spot in Cuyahoga County to have sex and that was where they were arrested by law enforcement officials. Some of them were allegedly in possession of Vaseline, condoms, knives and firearms.
All of the 14 arrestees are residents of Ohio. Here is the list:
- Alan Radomski, 39, Richfield, Summit County
- Gonzalo Villafan, 24, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County
- Jed Martus, 28, Akron, Summit County
- Lucas Black, 24, Parma, Cuyahoga County
- Miller Singh, 57, Cuyahoga Falls, Summit County
- Neil Deimer, 53, Ottawa, Putnam County
- Randy Wouters, 33, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County
- Robert Biddle, 22, Cuyahoga Falls, Summit County
- Shiloh Teiji-Saalim-Moore, 28, Warrensville Heights
- Stephen Simpson, 44, Warren, Trumbull County
- Ted Williams, 56, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County
- Timothy Opincar, 54, Fairview Park, Cuyahoga County
- Timothy Tatko, 55, Mayfield Heights, Cuyahoga County
- Warren Grugle, 71, Northfield, Summit County
The initial charges filed against the 14 suspects include importuning, compelling prostitution, possessing criminal tools, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The charges range from third-degree to fifth-degree felonies.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force coordinated Operation Spider Web. Also involved in the operation were the U.S Secret Service, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Cleveland Division of Police, the offices of Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Cleveland, the sheriff’s departments of Ottawa County and Portage County and the police departments of Austintown, Independence, Kelly’s Island, Newburgh Heights, Perrysburg, Solon and Streetsboro.
CONAN Daily 