Seven individuals, including two educators, are set to face a collective count of 25 felony charges in Fairfax County, Virginia. This comes as a result of a recent police operation aimed at apprehending online predators, as confirmed by the Fairfax County Police Department (FcPD) on Tuesday.
Authorities reportedly caught the men, aged 24 to 50, using social media platforms to send indecent communications to undercover officers posing as juveniles. All seven defendants believed they were meeting with a juvenile at a predetermined location to conduct alleged sexual encounters but were apprehended by police, according to authorities.
Several individuals have been identified as suspects and are now facing multiple charges.
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- 50-year-old Chad Hockman, of Warrenton, Va.: Charged with Solicitation of a Minor and indecent Liberties with a Minor.
- 47-year-old Carlos Antonio Saenz, of Manassas, Va.: Charged with Solicitation of a Minor, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, and Production of Child
- 28-year-old Gustavo Ramos Cahuaya, of Sterling, Va.: Charged with Solicitation of a Minor, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, and Production of Child
- Richard Joseph Berkowitz, of Fairfax, Va. Charged with four counts of Solicitation of a Minor and two counts of Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
- 48-year-old Enrique Montesflores Espana, of Arlington, Va.: Charged with Solicitation of a Minor and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.
- 24-year-old Charles Stephen Wolf, of Washinton, D.C.: Charged with three counts of Solicitation of a Minor, Use of Vehicle to Promote Unlawful Sexual Intercourse with a Minor, and Indecent Liberties with a Minor.
- 45-year-old Geoffrey Testa, of New York: Charged with four counts of Solicitation of a Minor and Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
According to FCPD Police Chief Kevin Davis, Berkowitz, who has been a physical education teacher at Falls Church High School since 2013, was suspended on January 27.
Testa, a teacher at Amherst Central High School in Buffalo, was arrested by state officials and transported to Erie County Correctional Center. He is currently awaiting extradition to Fairfax County. Notably, Testa’s name was not listed in the Amherst Central Schools faculty directory on their website as of Tuesday.
In April 2024, Davis issued a warning about the rising number of child sex abuse cases. During that time, county police arrested five individuals from Virginia and Maryland in an online operation, which took place when students were on their spring break.
The operation involved the utilization of counterfeit accounts on popular social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and various others.
Davis and other officials in Fairfax County urged parents to increase their involvement in their child’s social media habits and be more attentive to their phone usage.