Chris Hansen, host of FOX Nation’s TruBlu’s “Takedown,” conducted a two-day sting operation last month that led to the arrest of five suspects who were sexually soliciting minors, three of whom were in the U.S. illegally.
“We worked with the Blount County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama, which is about 45 minutes from Birmingham. One was from Honduras and two were from Guatemala,” Hansen told Fox News Digital.
Hansen and the sheriff’s office posed as undercover “aunts” offering to sell their nieces for prostitution in online chats with the suspects.
“Each person uses a translation app to translate the graphics. [English] “The suspects engaged in detailed conversations about sexual acts they wanted to perform with the children,” Hasnen told Fox News Digital, adding that the suspects worked in construction and landscaping and were often employed by homeowners or unsuspecting families.
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When the suspects arrived at the so-called “sting” scene in Blount County to meet with two young women posing as an aunt and her niece, Hansen and other officers identified themselves as officers and questioned the suspects about their actions. Two of the suspects, Gershon Tirol, 27, and Henry Lopez, 28, arrived at the home together.
Chris Hansen, host of FOX Nation’s TruBlu’s “Takedown,” assisted the Blount County Sheriff’s Office in a predator sting operation in late July that resulted in the arrest of five suspects over two days for soliciting sexual favours from minors, three of whom had entered the US illegally from Guatemala and Honduras. (Takedown/ TruBlu)
Hansen told Fox News host Jesse Watters on July 31 that Tyrol and Lopez told him they didn’t have much money to offer the aunt to have sex with her teenage niece, but authorities found $1,500 in the suspects’ wallets when they arrested them.
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Hansen and the Blount County Sheriff’s Office soon learned the immigration status of each of the suspects.
Hansen and the Blount County Sheriff’s Office soon learned the immigration status of each of the suspects. (Takedown/TruBlu)
Hansen said all of the suspects arrested in connection with the minor recruitment scheme are charged with computer-assisted solicitation, human trafficking and traveling to meet a child for the purpose of unlawful sexual activity.
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VIDEO: Alabama sheriff tells “Takedown” host Chris Hansen: “We need more security on the southern border”
Sheriff Mark Moon told Hansen in a later interview that the arrests show the department needs to “do a better job of apprehending” those crossing into the U.S. illegally from the southern border.
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“Now that the border opening process is affecting the entire country, we need to have stricter monitoring of who we allow into our country. I know there is chaos in cities and towns along the border, but this is affecting the entire country,” Moon said.
The sheriff added that “every law enforcement chief in this county” deals with both violent and non-violent crimes related to illegal immigration.
