The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with multiple other agencies including the Rhinelander Police Department, participated in Operation Aegis Oct. 9 and 10, 2014. This operation targeted online predators who solicit children for the purpose of engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

Officers from an Internet Crimes against Children Task Force conducted undercover operations that used Craigslist to communicate with these predators.  There were 24 arrests made including two in Oneida County. Paul Loucks, 38, of Weston and Ted Wasson, 37, of Rhinelander were both arrested in Rhinelander by the Oneida County Sheriff’s department for Child Enticement and Using a Computer to Facilitate a Child Crime. 

There have been five previous operations like this since 2012. This was the first time the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office actively participated and this was the largest number of arrests since these operations began.  Loucks and Wasson will appear in Oneida County Court.