Redmond detectives arrest man in undercover online child rape operation

REDMOND, Wash. — Redmond detectives arrested a man, on Tuesday, during an online undercover operation that targets men who seek out minors.

Detectives posed as a 12-year-old girl on a location-based social networking and dating application, according to the Redmond Police Department.

The conversation began in early March and the man was told several times that he was talking to a 12-year-old girl. However, he kept engaging in sexually motivated conversations, believing she was a minor.

He also sent photographs and said he wanted to meet in person to engage in sexual acts.

He proposed meeting her at a park near the Redmond Police Department to engage in sexual activity. When he got there, he had items that indicated he intended to have sex with a minor.

He was arrested and booked into King County Jail on $100,000 bail.

He is the ninth man arrested as part of undercover operations that started in 2021 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, said the RPD.

“We will continue our efforts toward flushing out men who are actively preying on children to hold the offenders accountable,” said Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe. “I am proud of our detectives who are dedicated to such an important initiative to combat these horrific crimes and protect our children.”

The RPD wants to remind parents to monitor their children’s activities on their phones and computers to help keep them safe from potential predators.

Police said if people know someone is the victim of online child sexual exploitation to contact their local police department or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Carl A. Mest, 61, of Redmond, is charged with two counts of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and one count of attempted rape of a child in the second degree.

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