MESA COUNTY, Colo. – A three-day operation between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to find internet child sex predators led to the arrest of seven men in Mesa County, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said Sunday.
In a news release Sunday morning, the sheriff’s office stated highly trained investigators posted ads for sex with children on several websites, social media sites and apps.
The large-scale multi-jurisdictional undercover operation led to the following arrests:
Aaron Kenneth Tydingco Apatang, 22, of Grand Junction. He is charged with internet luring of a child (class 4 felony), internet sexual exploitation of a child (class 4 felony), enticement of a child (class 4 felony) and criminal attempt of sexual assault on a child (class 5 felony).
Steve Bruckner, 35, of Grand Junction. He is charged with soliciting for child prostitution (a class 3 felony).
Jason Gullion, 40, of Grand Junction. He is charged with two counts of criminal attempt of sexual assault on a child victim less than 15 years at least 4-year difference in age (class 5 felony), and two counts of soliciting for child prostitution (class 3 felony).
Michael Duane Jones, 57, of Grand Junction. He is charged with: Two counts of soliciting for child prostitution (class 3 felony), two counts of pandering a child (class 5 felony), two counts of patronizing a prostituted child (class 3 felony), two counts of criminal attempt of sexual assault on a child (class 5 felony), two counts of possession of weapons by previous offenders (class 6 felony), four counts of distribution/manufacturing/possession with the intent to distribute more than ½ oz- ½ lb of Schedule I/II or >1/4oz-1/4lb of meth, heroin, ktamine or cath or >10mg-50mg FLU (class 2 drug delony), and one count of special circumstance used/displayed/possessed on person or within reach a deadly weapon during offense (class 1 drug felony).
Terry Royster, 57, of Grand Junction. He is charged with soliciting for child prostitution (class 3 felony) and criminal attempt of sexual assault on a child (class 5 felony).
Robert Louis Woodruff III, 34, of Gastonia, NC. He is charged with internet luring of a child with intent of sexual contact exploitation (class 4 felony), and criminal attempt of sexual assault on a child victim less than 15 years at least 4-year difference in age (class 5 felony).
Austin James Pierce, 20, was arrested on an active warrant for failure to appear. The warrant was issued related to a recent arrest from a Mesa County Sheriff’s Office case where the victim is 14 years old. Pierce was also charged with violation of protection order for having communication with the victim in the sex assault case.
Besides those arrests, three other people were issued a summons to appear in court:
Kimberly Anderson, 40, for the charge of Prostitution (a class 3 misdemeanor).
Dustin Kelleher, 40, of Fruita. She is charged with prostitution (a class 3 misdemeanor).
Jennifer Smith, 49, of Clifton. She is charged with prostitution (a class 3 misdemeanor).
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, Grand Junction Police Department, Palisade Police Department, Mesa County District Attorney's Office, Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), US Marshals Service (USMS), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), arrested 10 individuals attempting to have sex with children, or engage in prostitution as a part of this operation, the release noted.
