A Fenton man is among a dozen individuals that a Genesee County Sheriff’s Office task force has arrested for attempting to engage in sex acts with children.

Sheriff Robert Pickell recently announced on his personal Facebook page that the G.H.O.S.T. task force arrested 12 additional individuals in the latest phase of the task force’s ongoing operation targeting human trafficking. He called those charged the “Dirty Dozen”. All 12 defendants have been charged with felonies relating to attempting to meet and engage in sex acts with 13, 14, and 15-year-old children.

All of the individuals have been charged with a 20-year felony for child sexually abusive activity, an additional 20-year felony for using a computer to commit a crime against a child, and a 4-year felony for accosting a child for immoral purposes. Among those charged is 57-year-old Kevin Robert Choma of Fenton. Court records show he was recently bound over to Genesee County Circuit Court and has since posted bond. Future court dates for Choma have not yet been scheduled.

Sheriff Pickell's Facebook post also reads, "Similar to our previous sting operation which netted 22 arrests, the most current crop of suspects come from all walks of life. Disturbingly, many of the defendants are those who our society would trust the most. A former law enforcement officer from a neighboring county, a finance director for a charitable organization, and a U.S. Army National Guard Member who was due to ship out for training the very next day, were just a few of those arrested and charged.

The knowledge that predators are actively trying to contact children, even when our children are in their own homes is a chilling thought for every parent. Social media allows truly evil individuals an avenue to access our loved ones, many times without us ever knowing. My office will continue to be proactive, protecting our most vulnerable. It is critical those looking to harm children in Genesee County know they could very well wind up on the next photo line-up, and have their lives, careers, and families forever impacted. The trauma these predators inflict on their victims is unimaginable, and the consequences for their actions must be severe. More details will be released at a planned press conference Monday morning."