CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WRIC) — Six men were arrested in Chesterfield for soliciting a minor or sex in an online sting by Chesterfield Police.
Chesterfield Police say that following the arrests on May 16, they charged the six men with a total of 19 offenses, including solicitation of prostitution with a minor, use of a vehicle to promote prostitution, weapons charges, and “frequenting a bawdy place” — an antiquated term for a brothel.
The six men arrested were:
- Ivan R. Acosta, 44 — solicitation of prostitution with a minor, use of a vehicle to promote prostitution and frequenting a bawdy place
- Hector E. Barahona Salguero, 34 — solicitation of prostitution with a minor, use of a vehicle to promote prostitution and frequenting a bawdy place
- Ernest B. Christian III, 33 — solicitation of prostitution with a minor, use of a vehicle to promote prostitution and frequenting a bawdy place
- Raun C. K. Hall Jr., 27 — solicitation of prostitution with a minor, use of a vehicle to promote prostitution and frequenting a bawdy place
- Tarek M. Hezam, 36 — solicitation of prostitution with a minor, use of a vehicle to promote prostitution, frequenting a bawdy place, carrying a concealed weapon and brandishing a firearm
- Joseph F. Suarez, 33 — solicitation of prostitution with a minor, use of a vehicle to promote prostitution and frequenting a bawdy place
Hezam was previously featured in reporting by the Richmond Times-Dispatch on his struggle to open a convenience store and takeout chicken restaurant on the city’s southside.
The undercover sex stings are a tactic Chesterfield Police have frequently employed, to varying degrees of success.
According to an 8News investigation, there have been 60 arrests in such operations since 2021, of which 43 are now closed cases, while 17 are still pending in the courts. Of those 43 closed cases, 36 resulted in conviction — a rate of 84%.
But the operations have also attracted controversy, especially in the case of a prominent Virginia Beach pastor who was caught up in one such sting, but had his charges unexpectedly dropped by Chesterfield Commonwealth’s Attorney Stacey Davenport.
The outcry over that decision, from both Chesterfield Police and State Delegate Timothy Anderson, lead to the appointment of a special prosecutor. Currently, the court is awaiting that prosecutors decision on whether to proceed with charges, which is to be announced on June 7.
