More than a dozen law enforcement agencies have worked together on a month-long operation targeting adults accused of contacting children online for sexual activity.

Seventeen men have been arrested as part of the operation. Another man is wanted on charges stemming from messages exchanged with law enforcement officers posing as minors on social media apps.

“We, along with the Lexington Police Department and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, served as the host agencies for this operation,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “Officers pretended to be underage teenagers as the suspects messaged them through apps. Some even had phone conversations with officers. After the suspect asked to meet with ‘the child,’ detectives were staged at a predetermined meeting spot to arrest them.”

No children were ever used or placed in danger during the operation, according to Koon.

“This operation is the result of strong relationships among law enforcement at the federal, state and local levels.” Koon said.

As members of the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Cayce Department of Public Safety, the Mount Pleasant Police Department, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Aiken Department of Public Safety also participated in the operation, according to Koon.

The following individuals were arrested and charged:

William Banks, 51, Liberty; Steven Bradley, 42, West Columbia; Darrin Bray, 40, Greenville, Illinois; Kevin Carpenter, 26, Evergreen, North Carolina; Brian Cates, 54, North Augusta, SC; Geoffrey Dudding, 36, Charlotte; Mark Frick, 54, Gaston; Keair Fuewell, 23, Gloverville, SC Landon Gibson, 40, Simpsonville, SC; Kane Hicks, 23, Darlington, SC Walter Huggins, 45, Camden, SC; David Jones, 51, Pelion; Willie Manning, 57, Winnsboro, SC; Joshua Paczowski, 21, Lexington; Misael Quezada, 31, Blythewood; Eric Setterberg, 54, Gadsden, SC; Charles Templeton, 74, Gaston;

Koon said more arrests are expected.

For a list of charges and mugshots of the accused go to www.LexingtonChronicle. com