Maryland State Police arrested a man Wednesday, December 11, 2024, on charges he solicited sex from an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a child over a smartphone app in Prince George’s County.
Santos Carranza, 47, of Fort Washington, Maryland, is charged with one count of sexual solicitation of a minor and one count of second-degree attempted rape.
He was transported to the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections where he is being held without bond.
Carranza was arrested Wednesday afternoon at a shopping center in Beltsville, Maryland.
According to a preliminary investigation, Carranza arrived at that location and Maryland State Police with assistance from other law enforcement agencies including the Prince George’s County Police Department and U.S. Department of Homeland Security arrested the suspect at the scene.
The preliminary investigation indicates that on Dec. 11, 2024, Carranza engaged in an inappropriate text chat with a person whom he believed was an underage male. Carranza was actually chatting with a police officer posing as a 15-year-old male.