Officers with the Irmo Police Department arrest 8 men after an internet chat sting operation

Irmo, SC 05/09/2025 (Paul Kirby) – Officers with the Irmo Police Department (IPD) have arrested 8 men as the result of an undercover chat operation using social media sites. Although the IPD hosted this sting, Irmo Police Chief Bobby Dale said his department received help from local, state, and federal agencies who assisted in gathering evidence, building these cases, and helped with the arrest of these suspects.

Chief Dale said that investigators posed as a child or acted as if they were an adult with access to children that they could involve in sexual crimes. During the operation, multiple suspected sexual predators contacted the “decoy” investigators. They first chatted and even revealed what they planned to do to or with these investigators posing as a “child” or an adult with access to children or pornographic images or videos they would sell or share. Once these predators became comfortable enough with the investigators posing as either a child or another sexually perverse adult, they would then arrange an in-person meeting.

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Investigators say that if they were acting as a decoy child, they reiterated to the predator that they were a child and under the age of consent. The Investigators also told the suspects that when they met the “decoy” officer face-to-face, it was their intent to engage in a sexual activity or act. After the details of the face-to-face meeting were made, officers were strategically positioned to intervene. When the alleged predators arrived expecting to meet a child for some sexual act, the pre-positioned law enforcement officers sprung their trap and took the suspects into custody.

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Chief Dale stated, “The importance of proactive Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) operations cannot be overstated. The safety of our children and the integrity of our community depend on our ability to stay one step ahead of those who seek to harm our most vulnerable members of society. We are sending a CLEAR message: If you seek to harm our children, we will find you and you will be held accountable.”

The 8 men who were arrested and their charges were:

Brittain Cody Ratliff, 25 of Lexington, SC. He was charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree and Criminal Solicitation of a Minor

Joshua Robert McCullough, 29 of West Columbia, SC. He was charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree and Criminal Solicitation of a Minor

Jose Hermilo Gonzales Moreno, 49 of Newberry SC. He was charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree, Criminal Solicitation of a Minor and he had an ICE Detainer

Timothy Bernard Woods, 53 of Lugoff, SC was charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree and Criminal Solicitation of a Minor

Jason Adam Wilson, 34 of Anderson, SC was charged with Criminal Solicitation of a Minor, Unlawful Dissemination of Obscene Material to Persons Under 18. He was also wanted by South Carolina Probation, Pardon and Parole.

Drasan Lee King, 28 of Woodruff, SC was charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree, Criminal Solicitation of a Minor, Failure to Stop for Blue Lights, Reckless Driving, Disregarding Traffic Control Device, and Open Container and Littering

Phillip Scott Westmoreland, 44 of Winnsboro, SC was charged with Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 2nd Degree, Criminal Solicitation of a Minor (2 Counts), Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 1st Degree and Unlawful Dissemination of Obscene Material to Persons Under 18 (2 Counts)

Thomas Michael Raimondi, Jr., 59 of Aiken, SC was charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 1st Degree, Criminal Solicitation of a Minor and Unlawful Dissemination of Obscene Material to Persons Under 18 (2 Counts)

Chief Dale wants to thank the agents, officers, and personnel from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Taskforce; South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s (SLED) SWAT Team; Lexington Police Department; Charleston County Sheriff’s Office; Anderson County Sheriff’s Office; South Carolina Department of Corrections; United States Army Criminal Investigations Division; United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service.

For more information about how to keep your children safe visit https://www.scag.gov/internet-crimes-against-children/