A police sergeant, firefighter, nurse and registered sex offender were among the 24 men caught by authorities conducting a child-sex sting in New Jersey.

The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General revealed Tuesday that all 24 men were arrested after being identified in a sting that saw New Jersey investigators posing as a boy and a girl — both 15 — on popular apps, online games and chats.



The arrests were said to have been made at a four-bedroom house in Toms River, New Jersey, which was filled with undercover officers.

Police sergeant Richard Conte, 47 (left), and firefighter Richard Hoffman, 23, were among the 24 men arrested during a child-sex sting conducted by New Jersey authorities

Also among the men arrested in the sting were registered sex offender Thomas Blumensteel, 47 (left), and a nurse, Christopher Vargas, 29

Authorities said the 24 men had traveled to the home during the sting's 'meet week' — occurring between September 5 to 9 — with the alleged intention of having sex with the underage teen they thought they were interacting with online.

The sting itself was named 'Operation Open House.'

'When they showed up at our undercover house seeking to meet their intended victims for sex, they were arrested,' New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said during a press conference Tuesday, 6 ABC reported.

'The defendants are now charged with serious crimes and are either behind bars or subject to very stringent pre-trial monitoring,' Grewal said.

Police said that during the sting, which took place over the course of several weeks, the undercover officers had clearly identified themselves as being underage boys or girls while talking with the 24 men who were charged.

Despite allegedly being under the impression that they were talking with underage teens, the men were said to have made arrangements to meet the teens for sex anyway.

Grewal highlighted one particular suspect and arrest — Richard Conte, 47, a Howell Township, New Jersey, police sergeant.

Authorities said that the 24 men were all arrested after they showed up at a New Jersey home, allegedly planning to have sex with the underage teens the thought they had met online. Instead, the men were met at the house by undercover cops

Authorities released the names and pictures of the 24 men that were caught in the child-sex sting. The men have been all been charged with luring, while some face additional charges

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal (at podium) revealed the arrests and some details about the sting, 'Operation Open House' during a press conference on Tuesday

According to Grewal, Conte pretended to be a 19-year-old male while chatting up the undercover investigator he believed to be a 15-year-old girl.

'He allegedly said that he had had sex with underage girls, and wanted to meet the girl to "get naked,"' Grewal said, noting that Conte 'had condoms in his pocket when he was arrested.'

Authorities said Conte turned in his weapon to the Howell Township Police Department in the wake of his arrest. He has been suspended and is under house arrest.

Also among the 24 men who were arrested were a security guard, a firefighter, a physical therapist, a nurse, a landscaper, a train conductor, a cashier, a dry cleaner, a mechanic and a registered sex offender.

All but the registered sex offender — Thomas Blumensteel, 47, of Manchester, New Jersey — were said to have been released from jail following their hearing last week, although authorities said that the men are being monitored closely.

Blumensteel, who remains in jail, had been previously sentenced to three years in prison in 1997 for aggravated criminal sexual contact. He was accused then of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy that he was supervising as a church counselor.

'It is disturbing that some of the alleged child predators from this operation held positions of public service and authority,' New Jersey State Police Col. Patrick Callahan said, according to FOX29.

'But behind closed doors they went through great lengths to avoid detection online, frequenting social media sites with the sole purpose of targeting unsuspecting children.'

Authorities said that the men had been using adult dating apps and popular kids games to find their targets, and handed out a list of apps that they urged parents to monitor their children's activity on.

Among the apps on the list were Tindr, Minecraft, kik, Fornite, Whisper, tumblr and Hot or Not and Chat Roulette.

'Talk to your children about social media and chat apps like these. Let them know that the people they encounter may not be who they initially seem to be,' Grewal said, according to PIX 11.

The 24 men who were caught up in the child-sex sting were all charged with second-degree luring. If convicted, they will each face penalties of a minimum five to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000.

Several of the men also face additional charges, including second-degree attempted sexual assault on a minor and third-degree attempted debauching the morals of a child.

In addition, five of the men face third-degree charges of attempted sharing obscene materials with a child after allegedly sending pictures of their genitals to the undercover detectives posing as the underage teens online.

The second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.