A Fresno police sergeant was arrested Wednesday as part of a Roseville Police Department sting operation involving officers posing as children online, according to authorities.
Paige McQuay, 56, was arrested on suspicion of attempting to contact a minor to commit an unlawful offense and attempting lewd acts with a minor, according to Roseville police spokesman Chris Ciampa.
An unspecified number of other arrests were also made during the operation, authorities said in a statement.
McQuay, who has been with the Fresno Police Department since 1993, is being held without bail in the Fresno County Jail.
Fresno Interim Police Chief Mindy Casto said the department was notified about McQuay on Tuesday. His co-workers took him into custody.
The Fresno department is cooperating with Roseville police in their investigation, Casto said during a news conference Wednesday.
“Obviously, we have a vested interest. When someone in our police department is accused of these types of crimes, the last thing we want to do is expose the public to any type of risk,” he said.
McQuay was placed on paid administrative leave on Wednesday. Criminal and internal investigations are ongoing.
Casto said there was “no indication” of McQuay's alleged misconduct within the department.
“It's painful if it's a new officer in these circumstances; it's painful if it's a veteran officer, as is the case here,” he said.
