An undercover sting operation in South Carolina busted 11 men arrested and charged with contacting children through various social media platforms and apps and arranging to meet for sexual activity.

Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon, in announcing the arrests of 11 men on Monday, explained that law enforcement officers pretended to be underage teenagers as the suspects messaged them through social media apps. Those apps included the popular mobile messaging app Kik, as well as Google Voice, Textnow, Skout, and Facebook Messenger, The State, a Columbia-based newspaper, reported.

"After the suspect asked to meet with ‘the child,’ detectives were staged at a predetermined meeting spot to arrest them," Koon said in a statement. "There is no doubt about the intent of these suspects when the messages and images they sent are reviewed."

"That’s why it’s important for parents to know who their children are communicating with online because sexual predators are looking for opportunities to exploit them," the sheriff added. No actual children were used or placed in harm's way during the operation, he said.

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Christopher Michael Alexander, 30, Gilbert, South Carolina. Charges: First-degree attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18, criminal solicitation of a minor, second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor. (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department)

Bryan Keith Beane, 61, Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Charges: Three counts of third-degree attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted second-degree criminal sexual conduct, attempted unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18, criminal solicitation of a minor, possession of a weapon during a violent crime (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department)

Jason Brandon Davis, 41, Lexington, South Carolina. Charges: Two counts of criminal conspiracy, promoting the prostitution of a minor, two counts of second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor. (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department )

Terry William Volcke, 29, Elgin, South Carolina. Charges: Criminal solicitation of a minor, three counts of attempted dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18. (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department)

Hunter Allen Trammell, 20, Newberry, South Carolina. Charges: Second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor. (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department)

The men charged are: Christopher Michael Alexander, 30, Gilbert, South Carolina; Bryan Keith Beane, 61, Kings Mountain, North Carolina; Jason Brandon Davis, 41, Lexington, South Carolina; Rodney Carlton Fussell, 25, Leesville, South Carolina; Terry Dwayne Goins Jr., 23, Gilbert, South Carolina; Nicholas Banks Jeffcoat, 33, Columbia, South Carolina; Robert Mitchum Nichols, 67, Florence, South Carolina; Karl Jordan Platt, 28, Columbia, South Carolina; George Stanley Sawyer Jr., 42, Lexington, South Carolina; Hunter Allen Trammell, 20, Newberry, South Carolina; Terry William Volcke, 29, Elgin, South Carolina.

George Stanley Sawyer Jr., 42, Lexington, South Carolina. Charges: First-degree attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor, second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor, attempted unlawful dissemination of obscene material to a person under 18. (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department)

Karl Jordan Platt, 28, Columbia, South Carolina. Charges: Second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor. (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department)

Robert Mitchum Nichols, 67, Florence, South Carolina. Charges: Criminal solicitation of a minor, second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor. (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department)

Terry Dwayne Goins Jr., 23, Gilbert, South Carolina. Charges: Attempted second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor. (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department)

Rodney Carlton Fussell, 25, Leesville, South Carolina. Charges: Second-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor, promoting the prostitution of a minor. (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department)

Nicholas Banks Jeffcoat, 33, Columbia, South Carolina. Charge: Criminal solicitation of a minor (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department)

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In addition to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the operation also involved the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Cayce Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Aiken Department of Public Safety, Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, West Columbia Police Department, Irmo Police Department, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office and Camden Police Department.

South Carolina undercover sex sting busts 11 men accused of targeting minors on social media

South Carolina detectives posed as teens online