Three Herndon residents were arrested last month on charges of attempting to exploit children in Loudoun County.
The men — identified as 45-year-old Ravi Shankar Reddy Gunipalli, 29-year-old Thomas Ian Wallace and 28-year-old Ruben Oben Nouta — were among eight people arrested by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office during the week of April 21 as part of an “internet chat operation,” according to a press release.
Each of the eight men believed they were chatting with minors no older than 15 on social media and other internet platforms, the sheriff’s office said.
Charges were later obtained on the eight individuals as part of a joint investigation between the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the Northern Virginia/Washington DC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
“These disturbing cases underscore the importance of parents actively monitoring what their children do online and on messaging platforms, and teaching them how to stay safe,” Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said.
Of the eight people who got arrested, six were Virginia residents.
Seven of the men are in custody at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, while the eighth is currently in custody in Maryland, police said.
All of the men have been charged with using a communications system to solicit children, which is classified in Virginia as a felony. Gunipalli and Wallace are both facing two counts of the charge.
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