TACOMA, Wash. – Three Pierce County men were charged with attempted child rape after a sting operation caught them attempting to pay for sex with kids, prosecutor Mark Lindquist said.



Paul Hobgood, 56, Gregory Harrison, 34, and Daniel Moody Jr., 35, allegedly answered online ads from an undercover agent posing as a mother who was offering her pre-teen and early teen children for sex. Bail for all three was set at $500,000.



According to a press release from Lindquist’s office, the three men described the acts they wanted the children to perform, and agreed to meet the mother to pick up the kids.



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They were arrested at the arranged meeting point.



“Protecting the vulnerable, especially children, is a top priority for our office,” Lindquist said.



The sting operation in late April generated hundreds of responses through websites, chat rooms and messaging and texting apps. Only those who followed through were arrested.



The “net nanny” sting is conducted through the Washington State Patrol’s missing and exploited children task force. Fifteen men have been arrested through the current sting, and 84 total have been arrested through the course of seven stings since 2015.



The WSP said more stings are expected.