A Filipino male nurse was among 24 people arrested on charges of luring children for sex in New Jersey in the United States. Christopher Vargas, 24, a registered nurse, was accused of chatting with teenagers with the intent of having sex with them.
Vargas thought he was communicating with a 15-year-old boy, but it turned out to be undercover police, GMA News reported.
Vargas was arrested when he attempted to meet the boy at a house in Toms River, New Jersey. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said that 23 others, including a police officer and a sex offender, were also arrested between Sept. 5 and 9.
Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said members of the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force maintained profiles as teenage boys and girls aged 14 to 15 and were approached by the 24 suspects.
“It is a frightening reality that sexual predators are lurking on social media, ready to strike if they find a child who is vulnerable,” Grewal said.
Vargas and the 23 other suspects were charged with second-degree luring, others faced additional charges such as second-degree attempted sexual assault on a minor and third-degree attempted debauching the morals of a child.
Five men face third-degree charges of attempted sharing obscene materials with a child after they allegedly sent photos of their genitals.