CLEVELAND — A sting operation targeting online child sexual predators in Northeast Ohio led to 14 arrests, according to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley.
"Operation Spider Web" was an undercover operation led by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which is run under the direction of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office. The four-day operation ran from Thursday, October 26 to Sunday, October 29 with the mission of "identifying and arresting online child exploitation offenders interested in engaging in sexual activity with whom they believed to be minor children."
Prosecutors say the defendants, ranging in ages 22 to 71, engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with undercover officers posing as children. Some of the defendants disseminated images of their genitals and others offered to pay for sex during the online conversations.
After the initial conversations, the suspects traveled to a pre-arranged meeting spot in Cuyahoga County to have sex. But instead, they were greeted by law enforcement officials who placed the offenders under arrest. Some of those arrested were in possession of numerous items that were seized and taken into evidence, including condoms, Vaseline, knives, and firearms.
Here is the list of those arrested:
- Randy Wouters, 33, Cleveland, OH
- Warren Grugle, 71, Northfield, OH
- Stephen Simpson, 44, Warren, OH
- Lucas Black, 24, Parma, OH
- Timothy Opincar, 54, Fairview Park, OH
- Alan Radomski, 39, Richfield, OH
- Gonzalo Villafan, 24, Cleveland, OH
- Robert Biddle, 22, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
- Miller Singh, 57, Cleveland, OH
- Shiloh Teiji-Saalim-Moore, 28, Warrensville Heights, OH
- Neil Deimer, 53, Ottawa, OH (arrested by Perrysburg Police Department in Perrysburg, OH – case will remain under Wood County Prosecutor’s Office’s jurisdiction)
- Ted Williams, 56, Cleveland, OH
- Jed Martus, 28, Akron, OH
- Timothy Tatko, 55, Mayfield Heights, OH (arrested in Mayfield Heights)
In an email to Mentor Public Schools parents and guardians, Superintendent Craig Heath announced the arrest of Tatko, who is a teacher at Orchard Hollow Elementary School. Heath says the district has not received any information indicating any Mentor student was involved in the circumstances leading to Tatko's arrest.
"The District immediately placed Mr. Tatko on administrative leave and instructed him not to have any contact with anyone in our school community pending the results of the District’s investigation. We are taking the allegations very seriously and we will fully cooperate with law enforcement officials working on this case. Keeping our students safe is our number one priority and we will do everything we can to protect them. We will provide updated information when it becomes available," Heath added.
Initial charges – ranging from third-degree to fifth-degree felonies – that were filed against the defendants include:
- Compelling Prostitution
- Attempted Unlawful Sexual Conduct With A Minor
- Disseminating Matter Harmful To Juveniles
- Importuning
- Possessing Criminal Tools
“I am incredibly proud of the great work our Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force does and thankful to all of our law enforcement agency partners that assisted us with this operation,” said O’Malley in a statement. “The success of our operations over the past six years demonstrates the collaboration and dedication of law enforcement in bringing child exploitation offenders to justice.”
“Operation Spider Web" was coordinated by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ohio ICAC Task Force with the assistance of the Newburgh Heights Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations Cleveland, U.S Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation Cleveland, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Cleveland Division of Police, Austintown Police Department, Streetsboro Police Department, Perrysburg Police Department, Solon Police Department, Independence Police Department, Kelly’s Island Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department, and Portage County Sheriff’s Department.
According to the release, "Operation Spider Web" was the fifth undercover operation the Task Force has led since 2018. A total of 122 people have been arrested.