MOHAVE COUNTY – Three more suspects have been arrested in a Mohave County Sheriff’s Office sting operation targeting sexual predators of minor children. The defendants charged with sexual exploitation of a minor related offenses are identified as Gregory Schutte and Michael Shaw, 29 and both of Kingman and Daniel Saguchi-Cazares, 26, Fort Mohave.
The Sheriff’s Office has been using a male detective posing as a teenage girl engaging in text and online communication with sexually solicitous men.
“During the past 14 months that we have been conducting these operations we have charged 22 individuals with internet crimes against children,” said Detective Jason Elsbury. He said nine of the defendants have been convicted, resulting in prison sentences ranging from one to 33 years.
“It is the goal of these operations to be proactive in keeping the youth of Mohave County safe, especially those vulnerable to online predators,” Elsbury said. “If we can prevent even one child from being victimized, we are doing our jobs, and we owe our communities nothing less.”
- Dave Hawkins
