Two Linn County men were arrested this week on accusations of luring a minor after interacting with decoy social media accounts operated by Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies.
As part of the operation, deputies posed as underage children on various social media platforms. During the investigation, they were contacted by men who engaged in sexually explicit conversations and attempted to arrange in-person meetings for illegal sexual encounters, according to a Tuesday press release.
Deputies arrested Jimmy Smith, 45, of Albany on Monday and Kyle Carter, 34 of Sweet Home, on Tuesday on charges of luring a minor and sexual corruption of a child. Deputies arrested Smith in Albany, while Carter was arrested while attempting to meet the decoy deputy in Lincoln County.
The news release said the arrests are part of a targeted effort by the sheriff’s office to apprehend people who seek to exploit children before harm has occurred.
How about going after the missing children who are being sexually exploited. I don’t feel like this is doing much, you got two arrests getting men who arranged a meeting with a fake teenager? That’s luring if I’ve ever seen it.