Fresno police sergeant arrested in sting operation, accused of attempting lewd acts with a minor
A Fresno police sergeant was arrested Wednesday as part of a sting operation by the Roseville Police Department involving deputies posing as children online, according to authorities.
Paige McQuay, 56, was arrested on suspicion of attempting to contact a minor to commit an unlawful offense and attempting lewd acts with a minor, according to Roseville police spokesperson Chris Ciampa.
An unspecified number of other arrests were also made during the operation, authorities said in a statement.
An L.A. County sheriff’s deputy who was relieved of duty two years ago was charged this month with sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
McQuay, who has been with the Fresno Police Department since 1993, is being held without bail at Fresno County Jail.
Fresno interim Police Chief Mindy Casto said the department was notified about McQuay on Tuesday. His co-workers took him into custody.
The Fresno department is cooperating with Roseville police in their investigation, Casto said during a Wednesday news conference.
“Obviously, we have a vested interest. When somebody in our police department is accused of these kinds of crimes, the last thing we want to do is expose the public to any kind of risk with them being out there,” she said.
The suspects allegedly attempted to contact minors online for sex, but they were in contact with undercover officers who posed as children as young as 13.
McQuay was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday. Both criminal and internal investigations are ongoing.
Casto said there was “no indication” of McQuay’s alleged misconduct within the department.
“It’s painful whether it’s a brand new officer under these circumstances; it’s painful if it’s a veteran officer as it is in this case,” she said.
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