A multi-agency child sex sting by the Milwaukie Police Department and other law enforcement agencies has led to the arrest of eight men, including one who was a co-owner of a Milwaukie eatery.
Sean Sexton, 53, was among the suspects nabbed on December 1 after the undercover operation on various online platforms. Investigators with Milwaukie Police said they hosted a child sex luring sting with Clackamas County and posed “as decoy boys and girls under the age of 15.”
Authorities said when the men agreed to meet the child for sex and showed up at the specified location, “they were instead greeted by police” and arrested.
Sexton and seven other men were booked for luring a minor and online sexual corruption of a child, both felonies.
The other suspects included Brett Baumann 25, of Portland; Cenric Nigbur 27, of Tigard; Manuel Valencia 25, of Vancouver; Nathan Parisi 20, of San Jose, California; Richard Mendez 29, of Gresham; Richard McGinnis 29, of Oregon City; and Jeramie Fincher 35, of Oregon City.
Sexton was one of the owners of Ovation Bistro and Bar in Milwaukie until his arrest, co-owner Romano Brown told KOIN 6 News in a statement.
“After receiving the news last night, Ovation Bistro and Bar would like the public to know that we have cut all ties with Sean Sexton,” Brown told the news station. “We were completely unaware of his acts until the story was released.
“We want to send our deepest condolences to any family that may have been affected and want our community to know we stand with them. We stand by child safety and protecting our future children from misconduct with adults. We reconstructed ownership and will continue to be strong partners with the community.”
Investigators said the Ovation Bistro and Bar was not connected to the sting operation.
Police believe there may be more victims of these eight people. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Milwaukie Police Department at 503-786-7471 or meierk@milwaukieoregon.gov.
The sting was a cooperative operation between Milwaukie Police, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, Oregon City Police, Molalla Police, Sandy Police, Lake Oswego Police, Clackamas County Parole and Probation and technical assistance from the FBI.
Police strongly encourage parents and guardians of children to monitor and help their children safely navigate online social networking on computers and smartphones. Additional information and resources can be found online at the FBI’s website.