3 men, including teacher union rep, arrested in Miami-Dade child sex sting

Three men who, police say, paid hundreds of dollars to have sex with underage girls were surprised when they ended up in handcuffs Thursday night after being arrested in a sting operation.

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Xavier Lopez, 30, of Miami Beach; Dominick Munoz, 23, of Surfside; and Alain Pacheco, 18, of Hialeah, are facing several charges, including human trafficking involving a minor, which is a felony punishable by life in prison. The sting operation took place in an undisclosed location in Virginia Gardens.

The three men, police say, responded to online posts offering sex with minors in exchange for money. They are all being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond.

During his bond hearing, Lopez said he is a labor organizer. His LinkedIn page states he works as an “organizer/union rep” for the United Teachers of Dade, the union for Miami-Dade County Public Schools teachers. The union has yet to respond to the Miami Herald’s request for comments.

Munoz, according to his arrest report, is a bank teller. Pacheco’s arrest report did not list any employment information.

Men paid undercover officers: police

Each of the men responded to ads and offered hundreds for sex with two underage girls, police say.

Lopez agreed to pay $400, Munoz $650 and Pacheco $250, according to their arrest reports.

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They each arrived at the agreed-upon meeting spot in Virginia Gardens and paid an undercover detective, the reports say. They were arrested after entering a room at the location.

While he was cuffed, Munoz told police the arrest was “going to ruin [his] life.”

“I’m young, I can work with you guys,” Munoz said, according to his arrest report. “Let me work for you!”

The operation was the result of a collaboration of several law-enforcement agencies, including the Virginia Gardens Police Department, the Miami Police Department and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force.

The sting, the arrest reports say, was conducted “in preparation” for the World Cup’s third-place match on Saturday in Miami Gardens.

“These proactive investigations are designed to deter the commercial sexual exploitation of children, reduce consumer demand, and protect vulnerable juveniles from victimization,” police said in the arrest reports.

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This report might be updated.