nvestigators from her office and other local law enforcement agencies conducted a sting operation in North Merrick to catch online child sexual predators.
Some of those arrested live in South Shore communities, including Lynbrook and Oceanside. However, several suspects who live outside Nassau County were also arrested, including individuals from as far away as New Jersey, Connecticut and Maine.
Rice, calling the alleged acts a "despicable crime," said charges for those arrested range from attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors, to endangering the welfare of a child, attempted rape and cocaine possession. Among the 21 suspects are a Town of Hempstead sanitation worker, a former Village of Southampton official, an attorney, an accountant and a former Department of Homeland Security employee.