Two men were arrested Thursday night as they reportedly attempted to meet a 14-year-old girl for a sexual encounter. Little did they know the “girl” was an undercover law enforcement officer. Nearly 20 Internet sex predators have been yanked from chat rooms as part of a sting operation by the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Department.
Chad Williams and Richard Smith were arrested.
“I have been chatting with these two predators for over a year and finally, after a year, they both decided to arrange a meeting on the same night with what they thought was now a 14-year-old female,” said an undercover officer. “We originally began chatting when the undercover decoy was 13, but since a year has past, of course the decoy got older.”
The first arrest came just after 7 p.m. when Chad Williams, 22, of Maumelle, drove to a predetermined location in Cleburne County to meet with the girl. He reportedly planned to stay the night with the girl and have sex with her.
When Williams arrived he was met by sheriff’s detectives and members of the Heber Springs Police Department SWAT team.
With an intense shock and awe effect, as Williams pulled up to the location, his vehicle was quickly surrounded by law enforcement officers and vehicles, blue lights flashing, guns drawn, and commands for him to show his hands. He was pulled from his vehicle and handcuffed without incident as officers checked the vehicle for weapons and any other suspects.
Williams was taken to the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Department and booked into the jail. He is charged with one count of Internet stalking of a child. Bond was set at $15,000. “This makes the 18th Internet stalking arrest for the department since we began the sting.”
The second arrest of the night was a little more unusual as the 37-year-old suspect asked the girl to meet him at a hotel in Conway. “Richard Smith of Hamburg was arrested around 10:40 at the Super 8 Motel after he arranged for the undercover detective to meet him there due to lack of transportation. He believed he was meeting a 14-year-old female for sex.”
After obtaining a search warrant and a warrant for Smiths arrest, Cleburne County Detectives, assisted by the Conway Police Department, met with Smith and made the arrest at the motel. He was arrested without incident.
He was transported to the Cleburne County Jail and bond was set at $50,000. “He is on parole for drug charges out of another county and was on active supervision.”