Police in Killeen arrest four men during online predator sting

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - Police officers and state troopers arrested four men during a sting targeting alleged online “predators,” a spokeswoman for the Killeen Police Department announced on Tuesday.

The so-called Operation Save Our Youth involved detectives posing as underage teens on various social media platforms. The detectives were allegedly contacted by the suspects.

“The goal of the operation was to decrease the number of cases received for minors being exploited and victimized by adults while using internet applications,” police said.

“The department took a proactive approach to prevent any more juveniles from being victims of sexual assault or potentially being a victim of human trafficking.”

The suspects arrested were identified as John Alexander Caruth, 32, of Killeen; Stephan McArthur Wilson, 22, of Fort Cavazos; Nirajan Oli, 23, of California; and 52- year-old Allen Julius Sistrunk Jr., of Harker Heights.

All four men were charged with solicitation of a minor.

“The Killeen Police Department would like to remind parents to be cautious of these social media apps and monitor their children’s online activity,” police said.