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‘Drug-laced gummy bears’ found during online child sex sting; 10 total arrested

One of the 10 arrestees brought "what appeared to be drug-laced gummy bears" to a location where he apparently planned to have sex with a minor.

Ten people were arrested in Denton County this week in an online child sex sting, the Denton sheriff’s office said Friday.

One alleged predator brought “what appeared to be drug-laced gummy bears” to a location where he apparently planned to have sex with a child.

A Denton County joint task force used various methods of online communication including social media to target suspects believed to be looking to have sex with minors. When the suspects agreed to meet, they were met by law enforcement officers and arrested.

All 10 suspects have been charged with online solicitation of a minor. Five arrestees were from Denton County. ICE placed an immigration detainer on one of the suspects.

Three more warrants will be obtained for people who agreed to come to the location but didn’t show up, according to DCSO.

“This operation was a huge success, I am extremely proud of all the dedicated officers that worked long hours to take these predators off the street,” Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphee said in a release.

“I want to thank all the agencies that participated to make this possible. This type of operation should open the eyes of parents and other citizens to the dangers that lurk on the internet. We will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to protect our most precious resource, our kids”

Multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in the sting: the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, Homeland Security, US Navy NCIS as well as police departments from Denton, UNT, Fort Worth, Wylie and Dallas.

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