Authorities in Colorado have arrested a 68-year-old airline pilot after an online child predator operation that started last month.
The Aurora Police Department did not disclose the name of the airline where Ralph Edward Bledsoe works. Bledsoe, an American residing in Florissant, approximately 70 miles away from Aurora, was apprehended on April 8.
Bledsoe has been charged with internet luring o a child, internet sexual exploitation of a child, and attempted sex assault of a child.
Investigators suspect that he engaged in sexual activities with minors in Denver, Pennsylvania, and Phoenix. He had just returned from Canada, under the impression that he was meeting a minor at an Aurora hotel for illicit purposes. Law enforcement found various items, such as lingerie and sex toys, that Bledsoe had sent to Aurora in preparation for the rendezvous.
Aurora Police Lt. Seth Robertson expressed concerns about the potential existence of victims across the country due to Bledsoe’s occupation as an airline pilot and his alleged history of unlawful relationships with underage individuals. Lt. Robertson emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing even after Bledsoe’s arrest. Authorities are collaborating with local, state, and federal agencies nationwide to identify any additional victims and ensure that they receive justice.
Investigators did not provide any details about the sting operation, including how the suspects contacted the supposed minors to solicit sex.
Police ask anyone with information about Bledsoe or a second man they arrested earlier this month as part of the same sting operation — 39-year-old Gregory Thomas Daniels of Aurora — to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). Tipsters can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
