FRPD sexual solicitation of minors sting nets second arrest of out-of-town male

On Monday, October 10, 2022, Front Royal Police detectives initiated an investigation regarding the solicitation of minors in the Warren  County/Front Royal area. Detectives started a proactive approach to apprehend individuals soliciting underage victims for sexual purposes.

An undercover operation ensued, and an adult male began soliciting one of our detectives, who he believed to be a female under the age of 15 years old, for photographs and sexually explicit material.

The adult male suspect sent sexually explicit materials to the detective, who was posing in an undercover capacity as a juvenile. The initial conversation was unsolicited and started by the offender in this case. During the investigation, a designated meeting place was arranged within the Town of Front Royal, and the male traveled and met the undercover detectives posing as a juvenile female for lascivious purposes.

Front Royal Police detectives identified the suspect as 24-year-old Centreville resident Harsh Gupta. After meeting with the detectives, Gupta was arrested on October 22, 2022, and transported to the Rappahannock Shenandoah Warren (RSW) Regional Jail. Gupta went before the magistrate and was ordered to be held without bond. The court date for the listed offenses has been set for November 22, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in Warren County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

HARSH GUPTA

The Front Royal Police Department is an active member of the Northern Virginia/DC Metro (NOVA/DC) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which is coordinated by the Virginia State Police.  FRPD requests anyone with information regarding the solicitation or exploitation of a minor to contact Front Royal Police Department. Anyone with further information regarding this case, please contact Detective M.R. Ramey at (540) 636-2208 or by email at mramey@frontroyalva.com.

The Front Royal Police Department would like to thank the Warren County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this investigation and the successful apprehension of this individual.