11 sentenced as part of child sex sting operation in Pierce County

The last of 11 men has been sentenced as part of a child sex sting operation in Pierce County.

The so-called "net nanny" operation last year was the second done in Pierce County by the Washington State Patrol's Missing and Exploited Children's Task Force.

Investigators posted sexual ads or responded to them on multiple websites, pretending to be preteens or parents offering children for sex.

Officers arrested the suspects when they showed up to meetings with the undercover officers, the State Patrol said.

Though the suspects weren't accused of molesting children, some pleaded guilty to that as a lesser crime, as part of negotiations with prosecutors.

The 11 men sentenced in the case are:

▪ Namulauti Petueru, 51, of Tacoma. He was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison last month after he pleaded guilty to second-degree child molestation, and to two counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes.

▪ Brad Lewis Henry, 61 of Shelton. He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison in October after he pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree child molestation and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.

▪ Christopher Gartside, 28. He was sentenced to 10 years, four months in prison in November after he pleaded guilty to second-degree child molestation and commercial sexual abuse of a minor.

▪ Erik William Tanson, 49, of Gig Harbor. He was sentenced to nine years, eight months in prison in December after he pleaded guilty to second-degree child molestation, commercial sex abuse of a minor and two counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes.

▪ Hugo Alberto Pena Ramirez, 35, of Tacoma. He was sentenced to eight years, nine months to life in prison in January. The state Indeterminate Sentence Review Board will decided when or if he is released. A jury found him guilty of first- and second-degree attempted child rape.

▪ James Willam, 58, of Renton. He was sentenced to seven years, five months in prison in in December after he pleaded guilty to second-degree child molestation and commercial sex abuse of a child.

▪ Kyle Craig Weaver, 57, of Lakewood. He was sentenced to 7 1/2 years to life in prison in November. The sentence review board will decide when or if he is released. Weaver pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted child rape and commercial sex abuse of a minor.

▪ James Lee Carter, 57, of Lacey. He was sentenced to 6 1/2 months in January after he pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree child molestation, communication with a minor for immoral purposes and commercial sex abuse of a minor.

▪ Fletcher Ward Kilpatrick, 28, of Kent. He was sentenced to 10 years, four months in prison in January after he pleaded guilty to second-degree child molestation and commercial sex abuse of a minor.

▪ Thomas Joseph Hili, 51, of Lakewood. He was sentenced to five years, seven months in prison in December after he pleaded guilty to second-degree child molestation, communication with a minor for immoral purposes and commercial sex abuse of a minor.

▪ Nicholas Dean, 27, of Puyallup. He was sentenced to seven years to life in prison last month. The sentence review board will decide when or if he is released. A jury convicted him of first-degree attempted child rape in January.

▪ John Schliep, 47, of Tacoma. He died after he was charged with first- and second-degree child rape, and with communication with a minor for immoral purposes.

This story was originally published April 7, 2018 at 2:46 PM with the headline "11 sentenced as part of child sex sting operation in Pierce County."