WSP: 22 arrested in Thurston Co. child sex crime sting

THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. -- Authorities say 22 people have been arrested after a recent child sex crime sting in Thurston County.

The operation by Washington State Patrol and other agencies happened Feb. 15 to Feb. 20.  Officials say in a release that undercover officers used various websites to communicate with people who were allegedly trying to have sex with children.

The 22 people who were arrested during the five-day sting traveled to meet with detectives, who posed as underage girls and boys online. The charges they face include attempted first- and second-degree rape of a child, commercial sexual abuse of a minor and possession of child pornography.

This is the 15th operation of its kind by the state patrol's Missing and Exploited Children Task Force since August 2015. The stings have resulted in nearly 250 arrests and more than 30 children have been rescued, according to a release.