To Catch A Predator Update: Long Beach, Part One

    

     The Long Beach, California sting was impressive: despite a post warning of Dateline's presence, 7 prior stings being aired, and a flurry of technical issues, 40 men showed up in 3 days eager to molest children and all 40 were stopped. What's more, it seemed as though every person was a memorable character either for reasons tragically comedic or unsettlingly frightening:

     Gabor Nagy pretended to be a waiter, but was actually a private math teacher. He had his bond set at $400,000 and was unable to make it. He spent 4 months in jail before being sentenced to 3 years probation and lifetime RSO status. It hardly mattered, as he was deported from the United States.

     Luciano Dimas was a less interesting guy with a similar outcome: He was given probation until 2012 and lifetime RSO status, but was also deported from the United States.

     Satinder Thind was the man who said, "Yup, I knew it. You're a horny little 13-year-old girl," and "Ima gonna lick you." Less funny was the loaded gun police found in his car. He got a measly 3 years probation but is an RSO for life. He has since worked as a regional manager at a car dealership before founding and owning a marijuana sales company called Cannabis Operating Solutions that brings in an impressive amount of revenue.

     Qays Mahjoob was the guy who got tazed after he failed to comply. He received 3 years probation and lifetime RSO status. In 2017, he was convicted of a DUI that injured 2 females, and, because it was his second offense, received a hefty 15-year prison sentence. His appeals have been exhausted, and he will likely wait until 2028 or 2029 before being released.

     Ernesto Avila was almost busted in Petaluma but later hit up a Long Beach decoy and was the first conviction of the sting. He was sentenced to 4 months in jail, probation until 2009, and lifetime RSO status. He lives in Los Angeles and has put on even more weight.

     Alvin O'Neil King ran a foot fetish website called Hot Barefoot Women that is still up. Like Frank Sierras, he met a decoy in the public park. He received 3 years probation and lifetime RSO status. He has a stutter, a surgical mark on his abdomen, and prescription glasses.

     Justin Smith was the Nickelodeon editor who ran from Chris Hansen and worried about the dogs he and his girlfriend shared. He, like King, faced a charge of sending porn to the decoy. He received 5 years probation, which ended in 2012, and he must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He lives in Studio City.

     Loren Hayden was the man who bragged about looking like Brad Pitt but can now brag about having spent 3 years on probation and being registered as an RSO for life. He currently lives in Las Vegas and is listed on the Nevada registry. He lost his current job when he was arrested but has worked as a software engineer since his release.

     Anoosh Pajand actually tried to claim entrapment, which obviously didn't work very well. He was arrested with Justin Smith and handled it much better. However, he got a harsher punishment. Despite being sentenced to 3 years probation, he remained in prison for a year before being released. His probation ended in 2011, and he will be an RSO for life.

     Brandon Franklin was a despicable man, hiding under the guise of a religious man while admitting to the decoy he had an STD and stating he would try not to give it to her. He spent 2 days in jail before pleading guilty and receiving probation until 2009. He also received lifetime RSO status, but I was unable to find his Megan's Law page. He may have moved out of state, and his name is so common that a search would be near-impossible.

     Josiah Walker was sentenced to 5 years probation, ending in 2012, and lifetime RSO status. He moved to Wyoming in 2014, where he is listed on their registry. He currently drives a RAV4, a far cry from the shiny Mustang he drove in Long Beach, which he tried to sell on a forum to cover legal fees (he was subsequently banned from said forum).

     Joshua Larios was a waste of life, a domineering dickface who wanted a girl to expose herself to close relatives and teachers. He received 5 years probation, which expired in 2012, and must register as a sex offender for life. As his screen name implies, he is a lifelong San Diego resident.

     Paul Clemente was the idiot who pulled his shirt over his head when confronted by Chris Hansen. He got 3 years probation and lifetime RSO status. Rather than deal with the RSO restrictions, he moved back to the Philippines and fell off the face of the planet.