Five men were arrested and charged in an undercover sting operation by the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office after allegedly communicating on social media with officers posing as children.
The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office and the SF Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday the results of an undercover sting operation that took place between July 29 and July 31, in which undercover officers utilized internet platforms to identify adult subjects who were using these platforms to find and exploit children for sexual purposes.
The five men have been identified as Jorge Nieto, 27, of San Francisco; Michael Pauter, 43, of San Mateo; Jhonny Rodriguez Diaz, 37, of Redwood City; Romuald Santiago, 32, of Daly City; and Reuben Teague, 50, of San Francisco.
This was part of a national Internet Crimes Against Children Undercover Chat Operation, and the SF Sheriff’s Office took part along with other Bay Area law enforcement agencies.
Detectives set up an undercover operation targeting suspects.
Investigators said undercover officers posed as children or as adults with young children on social media platforms.
According to the DA’s Office, Nieto, Pauter, Rodriguez Diaz, Santiago, and Teague each messaged undercover officers, using graphic, sexual language indicating their intent to engage in sexual conduct with the children, and each requested to meet in person.
Officers provided a San Francisco address for the alleged meetings.
“The undercover officers provided the address of a location in San Francisco, where Mr. Nieto, Mr. Pauter, Mr. Santiago, and Mr. Teague each separately showed up and confirmed that they went to that address to see the children,” the DA’s Office release states. “They then walked into the house and were each arrested by San Francisco Sheriff Deputies.”
Drone footage released by the sheriff’s office shows one of the men arrested by a group of officers after he emerged running from a 2-story blue home.
Rodriguez Diaz, of Redwood City, did not show up.
Authorities said Jhonny Rodriguez Diaz has also been arraigned, and he’s facing misdemeanor charges since he never actually showed up to the meeting location, so he was released.
Nieto, 27, and Pauter, 43, faced felony charges.
Nieto and Pauter were arraigned on Friday on two felony charges of meeting a minor for lewd purposes and two misdemeanor charges of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes.
Both pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Santiago and Teague also faced felony counts.
Santiago and Teague were arraigned on Monday on the same charges, with Teague also charged with resisting arrest, while Rodriguez Diaz was arraigned on Monday on a single misdemeanor count of meeting a minor for lewd purposes.
All three pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Teague ran from the residence during his arrest.
Teague, 50, was a prominent real estate investor.
Teague founded Cabin Six Advisors, described as a boutique real estate firm. He worked for Prudential Financial and its related company PGIM Real Estate before that, according to his LinkedIn account.
Nieto, Pauter, Santiago and Teague were being held in custody pending trial. “Thankfully, the court has found that these individuals, like we know, are too dangerous to be among us in the community,” Jenkins said. “We certainly moved to detain them, as we know, they pose a substantial public safety risk to our
communities.
All four men in custody pleaded not guilty.
All five have pleaded not guilty.
In the viral moment that authorities released, drone footage captured one suspect fleeing the residence as officers swarmed the location.
Drone video released by authorities showed one suspect arriving at the residence and then attempting to flee before being tackled by officers.
The video spread online, showing the dramatic apprehension during the sting operation.
Sheriff Paul Miyamoto warned about the unpredictable nature of online interactions.
“They came from different backgrounds and walks of life. That is an important reminder that there is no single profile of someone who commits these crimes. One of the biggest lessons from the operation is simple. You never truly know who is behind a computer screen,” Miyamoto said.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins emphasized the severity of the suspects’ conduct.
“These weren’t just individuals seeking to exploit children,” Jenkins said. “These were individuals seeking to sexually assault children.”
Asked whether investigators believe the men targeted other victims before this operation, Miyamoto said authorities are “constantly looking for any victims that are maybe out there” and suspect that this was not the suspects’ first attempt at such conduct.
Parents need to monitor their children’s online interactions, Jenkins said.
“You need to be monitoring what those conversations are. You need to be talking to your children about talking to strangers,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins encouraged parents to disable chat functions to protect their kids.
The investigation remains active, and additional charges may be filed. Jenkins followed, asking that any minors who have experienced sexual abuse or inappropriate conduct — involving these suspects or others — come forward.