Illegal Immigrant Arrested in Sexual Abuse Sting

An illegal immigrant has been arrested as part of a police sting operation targeting alleged child sexual abuse in New York state, which also saw another suspect take his own life.
Wilver O. Laparra-Gonzalez, 34, is accused of paying $80 to have sex with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, but was in fact an undercover cop.
The Throop resident, who entered the U.S. illegally, was arrested as part of a sting operation in early August, which saw further arrests this week.
Laparra-Gonzalez was charged with second-degree attempted rape and second-degree attempted criminal sex act on Aug. 8 and is being held on an immigration detainer issued by ICE.
His arrest at the Melone Village apartments was linked to an investigation by Auburn City Police into child sexual exploitation.
“It is very disturbing to me just how many individuals are willing to sexually exploit children in our community,” Cayuga County Sheriff Brien Schenk told The Citizen Tuesday.
Also at the apartment complex in north-western New York was suspect Scott R. Demonte, 51, of Fayetteville.
He pointed a handgun at officers when they showed up, before turning the weapon on himself and firing the single round which killed him, while an officer fired and missed the suspect.
“Based on all of the available evidence in this case, it is clear to me that Scott Demonte did die as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It is also clear to me that the shot fired by the APD officer was justified at the time and did not strike anyone,” Schenk told The Citizen.
“The officers involved in this attempted arrest showed great restraint as this incident quickly unfolded.”
On Tuesday, cops arrested John E. Steinruck, 59, of Seneca Falls, and Junayd M. Abdulkhafid, 42, of Syracuse. Both were charged with second-degree attempted criminal sex act, again having allegedly tried to pay for sex with the underage girl.
The sheriff said on Tuesday that there was no evidence yet of Demonte having known the other three suspects.
The sheriff’s office was working with Auburn police, New York State Police and the FBI on the case.
Newsweek reached out to ICE, the sheriff’s office and the Auburn PD for further comment Wednesday afternoon.
Being placed under an immigration detainer means Laparra-Gonzalez faces removal proceedings, with ICE set to take custody of the suspect should local law enforcement release him.
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