Three suspected child predators arrested in sting operation

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – An undercover operation by the New Mexico Department of Corrections resulted in three arrests. It was all about child predators who contacted underage children on meta platforms.

The New Mexico DOJ filed a lawsuit against Meta for its lack of protection for children on these social media platforms.

During Operation MetaPhile, the men thought they were talking to children, not undercover agents. Two of them were immediately arrested on May 7 at a Motel 6 in Gallup.

One of the suspects was 52-year-old Fernando Clyde. The Justice Department said he began communicating on Facebook as early as February with someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl.

The second suspect, 29-year-old Marlon Kellywood, reportedly began sending messages to someone he thought was a child on Facebook in December 2023. That same month, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Meta over concerns about human trafficking and sexual abuse on the platforms.

“It’s really shocking, they communicated and exchanged explicit sexual content, explicit sexual material through the Messenger application on Facebook and they also clearly expressed a sexual interest in children,” said Raúl Torrez, New Mexico’s attorney general.

Both are accused in one case of recruiting children using electronic communication devices and attempted criminal sexual penetration of a minor.

Torrez said none of the agents posing as children initiated any of the inappropriate conversations.

“In any case, the individuals identified in the course of this operation are able to find and locate these children through the design features and algorithm specifically set out under these platforms,” he said.

The third arrest occurred earlier this year on April 23, 2024. Christopher Reynolds’ arrest came after concerned parents in Chaves County reported troubling news to law enforcement.

“After raising concerns with the Chavez County Sheriff’s Department, Chavez County contacted our office and special agents, and we set up a deception account to investigate Mr. Reynolds’ activities,” Torrez said.

Reynolds faces one count of soliciting children through electronic communications devices.

Police officials said he also had to register as a sex offender in Texas after sexually assaulting a 15-year-old family member.

“This is Mark Zuckerberg’s fault; This is the fault of the leaders of a company that has extraordinary resources and has consistently chosen to put profits ahead of the interests of children. Because those of us engaged in this work have had enough of the rhetoric and assurances that have been given to members of our communities,” the Attorney General said.

Regarding the lawsuit, which the NM DOJ filed back in December 2023, Torrez said it is still in its early stages. At this time, he has no plans to use the intelligence from this sting operation in the case, only to identify predators and get them off the streets.