Multi-agency sting nets eight alleged child predators including local pastor, Israeli cyber official
A massive undercover operation targeting online child predators in the Las Vegas Valley resulted in eight arrests earlier this month, including a local church pastor and a senior Israeli government cybersecurity official attending a major tech conference.
Pastor among those charged in operation
Neal Harrison Creecy, 46, pastor of Redemption Church, faces one felony count of luring or attempting to lure a child with a computer for sexual contact. According to Henderson police, Creecy engaged in sexually explicit conversations with an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old boy through apps including TikTok, Sniffles, and Sessions.
When federal agents interviewed Creecy after his August 7 arrest, he admitted understanding he was meeting a 14-year-old and told investigators “I’m sorry,” according to the arrest report. He posted $10,000 bail the next day and immediately resigned from his position.
“As soon as he got out of jail within an hour or two, he contacted us on a thread message and confessed. He offered his resignation when we met with him later that morning,” said W. Don Seaborg, President of Pastoral Support for Redemption Church.
Church distances itself from arrested pastor
The Good Samaritan Lutheran Church on West Sahara Avenue, where Creecy’s congregation rented space for five years, moved quickly to reassure its members about safety protocols.
“We want to be clear: Redemption Church is a separate ministry and operates independently from us,” Senior Pastor Don Lorfing wrote in a letter to the congregation. “While they rent space from us, they are not part of our staff, leadership, or programs.”
Lorfing emphasized that Good Samaritan maintains strict safeguards to protect children and was unaware of any allegations against Creecy or Redemption Church before the arrest.
International incident involves Israeli official
Among the other arrests was Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, head of Israel’s Technological Defense Division at the National Cyber Directorate. Alexandrovich was attending the Black Hat USA 2025 cybersecurity conference when he allegedly arranged to meet what he believed was a 15-year-old girl through the dating app “Pure.”
The arrest of such a high-ranking Israeli official who handles sensitive cybersecurity operations created international headlines. Alexandrovich posted $10,000 bail and has since returned to Israel, though he faces potential extradition for the felony charge that carries up to 20 years in prison.
Extensive multi-agency effort
The Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force coordinated the two-week operation with assistance from:
- FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force
- Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
- Henderson Police Department
- North Las Vegas Police Department
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Nevada Attorney General’s office
The other suspects arrested include:
- David Wonnacott-Yahnke, 40
- Jose Alberto Perez-Torres, 35
- Aniket Brajeshkumar Sadani, 23
- James Ramon Reddick, 23
- Ramon Manuel Parra Valenzuela, 29
- John Charles Duncan, 49
Digital hunting grounds exposed
The operation revealed the variety of platforms predators use to target children, including TikTok, Discord, Tinder, Grindr, Telegram, Chatib, Instagram, and various specialized apps. Conversations often migrated to text messaging once initial contact was established.
All suspects except Duncan were arrested at locations where they believed they would meet minors ages 13-14. Duncan was partially identified using facial recognition technology before his arrest.
“Parents are encouraged to routinely monitor their children’s activity on social media and other online applications to prevent them from becoming victims of a child sex predator,” Metro police emphasized in their announcement.
Creecy is scheduled for arraignment September 2 at Henderson Justice Court. All eight suspects face identical felony charges that could result in significant prison time if convicted.
Image Sources: https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/sex-crimes/las-vegas-pastor-nabbed-in-sting-that-targeted-alleged-child-sex-predators-3426277/
Category: Local News
Subcategory: Crime & Courts
Date: 08/19/2025
