Marietta man among the near dozen charged in ‘Operation Masquerade’ child solicitation sting in Forsyth County

A three-day law enforcement operation involving members of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Alpharetta Police Department, the Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has netted nearly a dozen arrests of suspects accused of trying to meet children online.

Individuals who engaged in online child exploitation and solicited minors for sexual purposes.
were the target as Operation Masquerade, conducted by the multi-agencies in Forsyth County, successfully apprehended 11 of the 16 individuals wanted for various charges related to child exploitation. Those arrested and charged include: 

Carlos Ortiz-Penado, also known as “Rafael,” a 37-year-old resident of Gainesville was charged with Computer Crime: Illegal Solicitation, Enticement or Seduction of a Minor, and Trafficking of Persons for Labor or Sex.

Salvador Alejandro Vazquez, alias “Salva,” a 33-year-old individual from Lawrenceville, faced charges of Child Molestation and Computer Crime: Illegal Solicitation, Enticement or Seduction of a Minor. Vazquez claimed to be a missionary from Guatemala, legally selling bibles in the United States.

Erick Rafael Garban-Ochoa, a 31-year-old resident of Stone Mountain, was charged with Computer Crime: Illegal Solicitation, Enticement or Seduction of a Minor. He was revealed to be an illegal alien from Venezuela, having crossed the border without proper documentation approximately one month and 14 days before his arrest.

Tucker Pigott, a 29-year-old Cumming resident, faced charges of Illegal Solicitation, Enticement or Seduction of a Minor, and Trafficking of Persons for Labor or Sex.

Srinath Banothu, a 28-year-old individual from Waleska, was charged with Computer Crime: Illegal Solicitation, Enticement or Seduction of a Minor.

Cody Wood, a 33-year-old resident of Dahlonega, was charged with Computer Crime: Illegal Solicitation, Enticement or Seduction of a Minor, and Trafficking of Persons for Labor or Sex.

Israel Ibarra-Hinojosa, a 30-year-old resident of Ringgold, was charged with Computer Crime: Illegal Solicitation, Enticement or Seduction of a Minor.

Tahir Taylor, a 24-year-old individual from Loganville, was charged with Computer Crime: Illegal Solicitation, Enticement or Seduction of a Minor.

Peter Heintz, a 39-year-old resident of Marietta, faced charges of Computer Crime: Illegal Solicitation, Enticement or Seduction of a Minor, and Computer Crime: Obscene Internet Contact with a Minor.

Brett DelRosso, a 33-year-old resident of Woodstock, was charged with Computer Crime: Illegal Solicitation, Enticement or Seduction of a Minor. He also had a hold for Cherokee County.

Michael Kinser, a 29-year-old resident of Lilburn, was charged with Computer Crime: Illegal Solicitation, Enticement or Seduction of a Minor, Failure to Obey Traffic Control Device, and Fleeing or Attempting to Elude. Notably, Kinser had a prior conviction in Florida in 2014 for related offenses, which required him to register as a sex offender in that state.

In addition to the 11 arrests made, law enforcement officials have pending warrants for the arrest of five additional individuals on charges related to Obscene Internet Contact with a Minor.

Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the operation as he issued a stern warning to parents, urging them to monitor their children’s online activities and remain vigilant against potential online predators.

Operation Masquerade is the second operation of its kind in that area. The first was Operation Just Cause, which was conducted in 2019, and resulted in the arrest of 24 individuals for similar charges. All 24 of those arrested in the previous operation have either pleaded guilty or were convicted of their respective offenses.