MADISON, Ind. (WDRB) -- An ongoing investigation in Madison known as "Operation Predator Net" saw its first conviction this month.
The Madison Police Department is working with the Jefferson County Prosecutor's Office to conduct the investigation. People believe they're chatting with a 14-year-old girl online, but it turns out they're talking with police.
"They thought they were coming to Madison to have a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl," Madison Police Chief John Wallace said. "The only relationship they had was with police when we put them in handcuffs."
Around 20 men have been arrested as part of Operation Predator Net, including 53-year-old Everett McGill. Police said McGill's case is the first in this operation to go through the court system, and it ended with a conviction.
Authorities said several months ago, McGill arranged a meeting with who he thought was the 14-year-old at a local Circle K gas station in Madison, where he was then taken into custody. Jefferson County, Indiana, Prosecutor David Sutter said McGill is already a registered sex offender in Jackson County, Indiana, where he has a prior conviction for child molestation.
McGill was convicted March 10 of attempted sexual misconduct with a minor and child solicitation, both level four felonies, according to Sutter. To read about more specific details of this case, click here.
"We take this very seriously," Sutter said. "We were very pleased to have our very first one to be a conviction. The jury was out a very short time."
Wallace said Operation Predator Net will continue. He said these arrests should not reflect poorly on Madison or Jefferson County and said while several of the men arrested are from nearby, many others are from out of town or even out of state.
"I was shocked," he said. "We didn't know what to expect when we started this operation, but I was somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of respond we got."
McGill will be sentenced in April. He faces up to 32 years behind bars.
Related Stories:
- Indiana man facing over 30 years in prison the first to be convicted in child solicitation investigation
- Madison, Indiana, police make 20th arrest in child solicitation investigation
- Madison, Ind., police arrest man accused of child solicitation
- Online sting into southern Indiana child solicitation nets 19th arrest
- 'Just like piranhas' | Arrests continue as result of Madison, Indiana, investigation into child solicitation
- 13 men arrested as part of online investigation into child solicitation in Madison, Indiana
Copyright 2021 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
