Former Maricopa County Sheriff's detective arrested during child sexual exploitation, sex trafficking sting operation

PHOENIX — A former detective with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is accused of trying to entice a minor for sex for the second time this year.

The arrest came after a month-long sting operation to catch sexual predators in a joint law enforcement operation called "Operation Home Alone 2" in Pinal County.

"Operation Home Alone 2" was designed as a proactive operation to combat child sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking. Between Aug. 26 and Sept. 3 multiple arrests were made as a result.

Arizona Department of Public Safety detectives led the joint effort comprised of local, state and federal agencies, which targeted sexual predators who attempted to lure underage children with the intent of engaging in sexual activity.

A total of five suspects were arrested after detectives gathered enough evidence to develop probable cause.

Four suspects were booked into the Pinal County Jail, and one suspect was booked into the Maricopa County Jail.

On Aug. 26, detectives arrested 40-year-old Daniel May, of Maricopa, for luring a minor for sexual exploitation.

https://www.12news.com/article/news/crime/former-mcso-detective-arrested-during-child-sexual-exploitation-and-sex-trafficking-sting-operation/75-5e34fb71-df26-4f64-af01-b99fc2e27bba

Thick swarms of mosquitoes are killing livestock in Louisiana after Hurricane Laura

Clouds of mosquitoes have been so thick in southwest Louisiana since Hurricane Laura that they're killing animals, including horses and cattle. The vast number of bites leave horses and cattle anemic and bleeding under their skins.

The animals also become exhausted from constantly moving in an attempt to avoid the biting insects, a large-animal veterinarian based in Ville Platte told The Associated Press this week.

"They're vicious little suckers," said Dr. Craig Fontenot.

Farmers in a five-parish area east and northeast of the parishes where the storm made landfall in late August have probably lost 300 to 400 cattle, he said.

Fontenot said only a few horses and no goats have died, probably because they are generally kept in stalls which can be sprayed with insecticide, while cattle may graze in 50- or 100-acre pastures.

A deer rancher lost about 30 of his 110 animals, many of which had already been sold, Fontenot said.

Several parishes have started aerial spraying, which has begun to thin the hordes pushed out of marshes by the storm, agricultural extension agents said in a news release Wednesday from the LSU AgCenter.

"The spraying has dropped the populations tremendously. It's made a night-and-day difference," Acadia Parish agent Jeremy Hebert said.

The insects remain a big problem in Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis parishes, though spraying has reduced the severity a bit, said Jimmy Meaux, AgCenter agent for those parishes.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-laura-mosquitos-kill-livestock-horses-cattle-louisiana/

Mother’s viral Facebook post sparks human trafficking fears

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The widely-shared Facebook post begins "human trafficking is real." Advocates say it is, but not in the way the post describes.

The post's author claimed to be a mom worried strangers acting oddly at Knoxville's Lakeshore Park Wednesday might be targeting her and her family for abduction.

In just 24 hours, the post rocketed across the internet and racked up nearly six thousand shares.

Natalie Ivey, the executive director of the Community Coalition against Human Trafficking, said the woman in the post did the right thing by calling 911 and leaving the park. Women have to trust their instincts.

Knoxville police said an officer responded to the 911 call immediately and drove around the area, but did not see anything odd.

Ivey said while it's not likely the strangers were looking to abduct her child, we should use this an opportunity to look at how human trafficking usually works in East Tennessee.

Anti-human trafficking advocates said East Tennessee traffickers hardly ever abduct strangers, let alone from public places like parks. That's just not how they work.

"We very rarely if ever have a 'stranger danger' or abduction associated with human trafficking here in East Tennessee," Natalie Ivey, the executive director of the Community Coalition against Human Trafficking said.

Instead, she said, traffickers in East Tennessee are family members.

"Most oftentimes, they're victimizing people they know," Ivey said. "Oftentimes, we see mom as a trafficker, unfortunately."

Acknowledging that human trafficking happens and is often perpetrated by family members in East Tennessee is a good first step, Ivey said. Next: learning how to identify potential victims.

"Ask questions that are much more relational, really getting to know folks. Do you feel safe at home? Are you comfortable? Do you have to do something you don’t want to do?" she said, as an example.

10News reached out to the woman who posted her story via Facebook messenger, but did not get a response.

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/that-viral-post-about-abduction-fears-at-lakeshore-park-isnt-how-human-traffickers-work/51-208b7dea-c70f-47db-a890-0af558859ee0