Six men charged with solicitation of minors in Houston-area

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Top row: Michael Polarski, Aarif Chaudhary, Ernesto Cerdena

Bottom row: Aarif Chaudhary, David Strickler, Irvin Garcia

HOUSTON - Six men were arrested after allegedly soliciting minors online.

Several Houston-area law enforcement agencies collaborated with the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to conduct an undercover investigation.

The purpose of the operation was to use social media to pose as juveniles in order to identify, locate, and apprehend adults willing to travel to meet children for the purposes of sexual activity.

On January 13 - 15, Constable Mark Herman's Criminal Investigation Division put the plan into action along with help from the Harris County Sheriff's Office, Houston Police Department, Humble Police Department, Missouri City Police Department, Texas DPS, Fort Bend County District Attorney and Sheriff's Office, League City Police Department, Katy ISD Police Department, Conroe Police Department, Cypress Fairbanks ISD Police Department, and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

The suspects listed below conversed online with whom they believed to be juvenile males and females and traveled from their home areas to the undisclosed location in northwest Harris County to engage in sexual acts with these 'children,' who were in fact, law enforcement officers in an undercover capacity.

Michael Polarski - Charged with Online Solicitation of a Minor

Ernesto Cerdena - Online Solicitation of a Minor, Prostitution

David Strickler - Online Solicitation of a Minor

Irvin Garcia - Online Solicitation of a Minor x 2. This male spoke with two of the operations UC profiles and admitted to traveling to meet one or possibly both juvenile females for sex.