A Maricopa County man, Edmon Yohannes, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison and lifetime probation for making online arrangements to have sex with young children.
According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, in 2022, Yohannes contacted a profile on Grindr belonging to an undercover Chandler Police detective. The undercover profile stated he was a father. The conversation was moved to a messaging app called Kik. Once on Kik, Yohannes told the detective he was into younger teens and preteens.
The conversation continued with Yohannes asking the ages of the undercover detective’s children and if he could meet them for sex. He agreed to buy stuffed animals for a 5-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl in return for sex. Yohannes then sent the detective pictures of the stuffed animals he was buying. When Yohannes showed up for the arranged meeting, he brought with him the toys depicted in the photo.
His arrest came as part of a multi-jurisdictional undercover operation called “Operation Tangled Web.”
A jury convicted him of the following:
- Two counts of Child Sex Trafficking, a Class Two Felony and Dangerous Crime Against Children
- Two counts of Attempt to Commit Sexual Conduct with a Minor, a Class Three Felony and Dangerous Crime Against Children
“Thank heaven this was an undercover detective rather than two actual children because Yohannes’ actions show he was ready and willing to victimize them,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “Thanks to MCAO prosecutor Maren Sorensen, this is one child predator who will be spending a long time in prison.”