The men wanted the 13-year-olds for sex, but the ‘girls’ were really undercover cops

Two men who thought they were communicating with 13-year-old girls for sex were arrested last week and charged with attempted child rape and other crimes.

In reality, they had been chatting with undercover police officers.

Brandon Christopher Pamon, 28, of Kent and Robert Xavier Sayah Jr., 55, of Tacoma were arraigned Friday in Pierce County Superior Court. Not guilty pleas were entered on their behalf.

Both men allegedly looked for their victims using social media.

According to charging papers filed by prosecutors, Pamon allegedly sent a message to a Facebook account used by an undercover detective who investigates people interested in sexually exploiting minors. The account uses a photograph of a young female Washington State Patrol trooper.

From August 2018 to the time of his arrest, Pamon apparently thought he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl. The detective made this clear to Pamon on several occasions, charging papers states.

Pamon allegedly sent explicit messages to the detective posing as the girl, indicating he wanted to have sex with her.

At one point, a female Washington State Patrol trooper, posing as the girl, had a telephone conversation with Pamon.

“During the call, ‘Brandon’ talked about wanting to sell the 13-year-old to make money for him,” the charging papers state. “There were also text messages about the 13-year-old girl working as a prostitute for ‘Brandon’.”

On Jan. 24, Pamon and the undercover detective made plans to meet at a grocery store in Tacoma. He allegedly agreed to bring condoms.

When Pamon arrived at the store, he was given the address of a house a short distance away where he would meet the girl, charging papers show.

At the house, he was greeted by a female detective who was working undercover as the 13-year-old girl’s older friend. When she walked out of the room, Pamon was arrested by other officers.

Officers found a condom on Pamon.

Pamon allegedly admitted he was there to pick up the girl, but he said he was doing it for someone else, the charging papers state.

Pamon also is charged with the promotion of commercial sexual abuse of a minor and communication with a minor for immoral purposes.

Pamon has a criminal history that appears to include three convictions for robbery, the charging papers said. Those are considered “strike” offenses. If those convictions prove accurate and he is convicted of the new charges, Pamon faces being declared a “persistent offender” and would be subject to life in prison without the possibility of release or parole, the charging papers said.

Pamon was being held on $1 million bail.

Sayah’s case was similar to Pamon but began in Kittitas County and ended in Tacoma.

The sting was conducted by a Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children’s Task Force undercover operation.

It began in December when a detective answered a social media ad that was offering to “share my motor home for sex.” The detective began a dialogue with a man, later identified as Sayah.

During the conversations, the detective posed as a 13-year-old boy who told Sayah about his 13-year-old female cousin.

Sayah allegedly told the detective, “I’m looking for sex … a girl that is willing to (have sex) in exchange for a place to stay.”

On Jan. 24, Sayah allegedly sent the “girl” a series of sexually explicit text messages.

Officers then set up a meeting with Sayah at a Tacoma grocery store. Before that, Sayah allegedly agreed to take the teen girl with him to his motor home and have sexual intercourse with her, charging papers state.

When Sayah arrived at the store he was arrested.

He later admitted that he knew he was meeting a 13-year-old girl and that his messages to her were sexually graphic, charging papers state.

Sayah is also facing a charge of communication with a minor for immoral purposes. Sayah has a prior conviction in Pierce County for attempted child molestation from 2001 and served time in prison.

Given his past conviction, if Sayah is convicted of the new charges he could be declared a “persistent offender” and be subject to life in prison without the possibility of release or parole, according to charging papers.

He was being held on $2 million bail.

This story was originally published January 28, 2019 at 12:44 PM.