SHELBYVILLE — A three-day undercover sting operation targeting online child sex predators resulted in 11 arrests last week in Shelbyville.
According to the Shelby County prosecutor's office, the operation was the largest of its kind in Shelby County history, with more than 75 officers and agents from 21 agencies involved.
Undercover officers posed as minors online. Most of the men arrested drove to Shelbyville expecting to have sex with a child. Among those caught were an attorney, an illegal alien, and several men with prior child sex crime histories, prosecutors said.
Investigators also allegedly rescued an infant from sexual abuse during the operation. The child is now safe and receiving care and the offender is in custody.
"Their genuine dedication to protecting children is incredible," Landwerlen said of the officers involved — noting that several federal agents worked into the early morning hours without pay.
The 10 men charged in Shelby County:
- John Michael Altman, 27, Logansport — Attempted Child Molest (Level 1 Felony), Child Solicitation
- Robert Owen Bland, 34, Indianapolis — Dealing Meth, Dealing Cocaine, Unlawful Proposition, Resisting Law Enforcement
- Jackson Daniel Renaker, 36, Covington, KY — Child Solicitation
- Frederick Maxwell Walsh, 39, Bloomington — Child Solicitation
- Brandon Lamont Stephens, 36, Indianapolis — Child Solicitation
- Darren Stephens, 35, Greenwood — Child Solicitation
- Michael Allen Shelton, 73, Shelbyville — Child Solicitation
- Daniel Roy Martin, 47, Oakwood, OH — Conspiracy to Commit Sexual Misconduct with a Minor
- Fernando Coronado-Olivares, 25, no known address — Child Solicitation
- James Andrew Klimek, 58, Indianapolis — Child Solicitation
A fifth person was also arrested in Clinton County but charges are filed there separately.
Prosecutor Landwerlen had a message for parents: "It is OK to trust your kids — but it is still necessary to verify what you believe. A quick check now and then could save your child's life."
If you suspect child exploitation or human trafficking, report it immediately:
- Call 911 or your local law enforcement
- Indiana DCS Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1-800-800-5556
- National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888 or text "HELP" to 233733
- ICAC Task Force: internetcrimesagainstkids.com
