The Billings Police Department announced Tuesday that eight Billings men and a man from Minnesota have been arrested in a sting operation aimed at people who solicit sex from minors.
The men were arrested following an operation that included several agencies over a two-day period in late October.
Agencies involved in the Billings-area sting included the Billings Police Department; the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The operation targeted suspects who solicited minors online with the intent to engage in sexual activity or meet adults trafficking minors for sex, according to a new release.
The nine suspects arrested in the Billings area operation include:
- Martin Jimenez, 27 of Billings
- Thomas Sebastian, 23 of Billings
- Jacob Ramirez, 40 of Billings
- Kyle Swindler, 40 of Billings
- Jason Kroepelin, 32 of Billings
- Danny Haydal, 64 of Billings
- Dustin Rudolph, 33 of Billings
- David Schultz, 52 of Hayfield, Min.
- Abraham Montez, 39 of Billings
A man was also arrested in Wyoming as a result of the operation, the press release states. James Moore, 46 of Gillette, was arrested for coercion or enticement of prostitution.
