Warren County Sheriff’s Office Cracks Down on Online Predators

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division conducted an undercover chat operation regarding online solicitation of minors within the Warren County/Front Royal area. These investigative efforts are aimed at investigating and arresting those who engage in luring minors via the Internet for lascivious intent. An adult male contacted one of our investigators acting in an undercover capacity as a juvenile under the age of 15 years old. During the chat exchange, the suspect requested to meet with the juvenile for sexual purposes on multiple occasions.

Sean Ballowe, a 22-year-old male from Strasburg, Virginia, was identified as the suspect. On January 16, 2025, Investigators traveled to Strasburg, VA, and, with the assistance of local law enforcement, were able to successfully apprehend Mr. Ballowe for the crimes listed below. Mr. Ballowe was taken into custody and transported to the Rappahannock Shenandoah Warren Regional Jail (RSW) without incident. Following his arrest, Mr. Ballowe appeared before a magistrate and was ordered to be held on a $5,000 secured bond. The court date for the listed offenses has been set for January 30, 2025, at 09:00 a.m. in Warren County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

Sean M. Ballowe, Strasburg, VA – Offenses: §18.2-374.3. Use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children. (x2 counts)

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office 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. We request anyone with information regarding the solicitation or exploitation of any minor to contact the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with further information regarding this case please contact Investigator C.J. McDaniel at (540) 635-7100 or via email at cmcdaniel@warrencountysheriff.org.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Rappahannock County Sheriff’s Office, Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office, and the Strasburg Police Department for their assistance in this case and the successful apprehension of this individual. These investigations would not be possible without the continued cohesive efforts of all our law enforcement partners throughout the region.

From a WCSO Press Release