On Sept. 6 and 7, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office conducted a multi-agency, multi-day undercover operation that was focused on identifying and apprehending sexual predators that prey on children in local communities.
During the operation, three alleged sexual predators were taken into custody. Bobby King, 43, of Lakeside, was charged with sexual conduct with a minor and three counts of aggravated luring of a minor for sexual exploitation, Jimmy Matlock, 43, of Concho, was charged with child sex trafficking and Rumaldo Pedraza, 44, of Show Low, was charged with two counts of child sex trafficking. All three suspects were booked into the Navajo County Jail in Holbrook.
Twelve agencies participated in the operation including the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, Show Low Police Department, Snowflake-Taylor Police Department, Pinetop-Lakeside Police Department, Chandler Police Department, Tucson Police Department, Mesa Police Department, Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), Navajo County Attorney’s Office, Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Major Crimes Apprehension Taskforce and the State Gang Task Force.
Navajo County Sheriff David M. Clouse stated, “Crimes against children are an absolute priority to me and the entire Navajo County Sheriff’s Office. I want to thank all law enforcement agencies who supported and helped out with this operation in Navajo County. These are all professional agencies that work tirelessly to protect our communities. Unfortunately, when operations such as this are conducted, individuals are willing to prey on vulnerable victims as we discovered during this operation. I also want to speak to all victims in the county, if you or someone you know is in a position of danger please reach out to us or someone you trust for help.”
Show Low Police Commander Jeff McNeil stated, “The Show Low Police Department wishes to thank each of our law enforcement partners for their collaboration and efforts to protect the children of our community with Operation Hiccup.”
Snowflake-Taylor Police Chief Bobby Martin stated, “It was an honor to be part of Operation Hiccup. We are grateful for the opportunity to protect our communities, and children, and work closely with our partners in law enforcement during such a critical operation.”
Pinetop-Lakeside Police Chief Dan Barnes stated, “We want to thank the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and all the regional partnering agencies for conducting this operation. The operation was a success in targeting individuals who seek to cause harm to minors in our communities. The safety and well-being of our minors is one of our highest priorities.”
A special thank you goes out to the Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network for their support of this operation.
The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office reminds parents and guardians to monitor their children’s social media accounts, online friends, and internet history. Set parental controls and talk with children about the potential dangers of the internet and social media. Being aware of their internet activity is crucial for their safety.
