OLVERA SENTENCED

An elderly Bullhead City man is the latest to be sent to prison in an undercover sting operation targeting child sex predators conducted by the Mohave County Sheriff's office. Judge Billy Sipe ordered a nine-year prison sentence Wednesday for Anthony Olvera, 80.

   Olvera was among a dozen defendants charged through an initial 2018 investigation during which a male sheriff's detective pretended to be a 13-year-old girl while communicating with men. Some of those communications occurred via email, cell phone and text messaging.

   One man speaking on Olvera's behalf questioned the propriety of the undercover investigation that snared defendants from various northwest Arizona communities, as well as Las Vegas. ``I am shocked by this entrapment thing," said Sean Regan.

   Judge Sipe said the sheriff's office and other agencies have every right to use sophisticated techniques to remove child sexual predators from communities.

   ``I quite frankly applaud law enforcement authorities for what they're doing in these kinds of cases," Sipe said. It was noted that

Olvera detailed sexual activity he wanted to experience with a party he presumed to be a female teenager and that he solicited nude images while offering one of his own.

   ``I made a mistake. It's cost me 16 months (jail) now for something I should have known better," Olvera told the Court. ``I ask for compassion."

   Judge Sipe said 1998 convictions for rape, sexual abuse and attempted sexual abuse, coupled with the current case, show that Olvera has a propensity to commit sexual offenses involving children. Judge Sipe ordered that Olvera serve lifetime probation if ever released from prison.

   Olvera pleaded guilty to luring a minor for sexual exploitation and attempted commercial exploitation of a minor.