Detectives with the Oak Harbor Police Department took part in a sting operation involving 19 local, state and federal agencies that nabbed 14 men accused of child sexual exploitation crimes early in November.

“Child Exploitation Operation” was the 23rd operation spearheaded by the Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force. Oak Harbor is one of member agencies, as are all the police agencies in Skagit County, other police departments across the state, the FBI and Homeland Security. In all, more than 60 officers were involved in the operation.

Oak Harbor Police Chief Tony Slowik said the detectives posed as children online and were contacted by adult men who traveled to a site in Skagit County to meet them in anticipation of sexual activity. Instead, they were arrested.

Since the first operation in August 2015, the task force has netted a total of 348 arrests and removed numerous children from danger across the state through police intervention.

None of the suspects in the recent operation were from Whidbey Island, but they traveled from as far away as Puyallup and Ferndale. They ranged in ages from 25 to 50.

The men were arrested on suspicion of attempted rape of a child, communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and sexual exploitation of a minor.

Skagit County Prosecutor Rich Weyrich will handle the cases and decide how each suspect will be charged.

“I am hopeful that this operation will send a message and deter others from trying to use social media for their own deviant activities,” he said. “We will be aggressively prosecuting these people and holding them accountable for their actions. We will remain vigilant in attempting to identify and bring to justice others who would engage in these activities.”