The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with federal, state, and local agencies, announced on Thursday the apprehension of twelve suspects during a three-day operation called “Operation Phantom Whisper.” This initiative focused on identifying and arresting child predators. Among those arrested are two men from Bartow County: 29-year-old Daylon Emil Figueroa from Cartersville and 36-year-old Steven A. Davis from Acworth.
During the operation, investigators from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force posed as underage girls. They engaged in online chats with the suspects. Investigators arranged meeting locations, and when the suspects arrived, they arrested them. Out of the twelve suspects, eleven traveled to places in Cherokee County with the alleged intent to engage in sexual activity with someone they believed was a 14-year-old girl.
Daylon Figueroa and Steven Davis face charges that include trafficking a person for sexual servitude, using a computer to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a child to commit illegal acts, and criminal attempt to commit a felony. Davis faces two additional charges of criminal attempt to commit a felony. Both men are currently in the Cherokee County Jail.