2 more men arraigned in underage sex sting
Prosecutors charged two men Tuesday accused of trying to arrange sex with Pierce County minors online.
They were among 12 arrested as part of a recent sex sting operation, in which undercover officers pretended to be minors or parents on websites offering minors for sex.
Investigators posted or responded to sexual ads, and the suspects and undercover officers agreed to meet in Pierce County.
Then when the suspects showed up, the Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force arrested them.
Thomas Hilli, 50 of Lakewood, pleaded not guilty to attempted second-degree child rape, and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. Court Commissioner Meagan Foley set his bail at $50,000.
Nicholas Dean, 26 of Puyallup, pleaded not guilty to attempted first-degree child rape. Judge Phil Sorensen set his bail at $500,000.
The other 10 suspects arrested as part of the sting pleaded not guilty to similar charges at arraignment during the past several days, and were all held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Alexis Krell: 253-597-8268, @amkrell
This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 6:09 PM with the headline "2 more men arraigned in underage sex sting."