The San José Police Department revealed that a task force successfully apprehended nearly a dozen individuals last week who were attempting to engage in sexual activities with minors. Among those arrested was an assistant principal from a local school.

According to the department, between February 3 and February 6, 2026, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force of the San José Police Department detained 11 people. These arrests stemmed from the suspects’ intentions to engage in sexual acts with minors.

This operation was a proactive, multi-agency effort aimed at individuals exploiting online platforms to sexually exploit minors. The arrested individuals were charged with attempting lewd acts with a minor, planning meetings for sexual purposes with a minor, and other related child exploitation offenses. They were booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail.

One notable arrest was that of Ruben Guzman, an assistant principal at Sunrise Middle School, who was implicated in the sting operation targeting child exploitation in San Jose, California.

Guzman, along with others, was identified by undercover officers from various law enforcement agencies who posed as minors online to expose those seeking to exploit children sexually. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the San José Police Department’s ICAC unit collaborated to identify Guzman as a suspect and launched a criminal investigation against him.

“Undercover officers from various law enforcement agencies posed as juveniles online to identify individuals seeking to sexually exploit children,” the police department said. “During the operation, undercover officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and SJPD ICAC identified Ruben Guzman as a potential suspect and initiated a criminal investigation.”

The logo of the FBI is seen at the Los Angeles federal building. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Guzman allegedly attempted to schedule a sexual encounter with what he thought was a 13-year-old boy. But instead he was met by law enforcement and was arrested. 

“On the evening of February 3, 2026, Suspect Guzman started to communicate with who he believed was a 13-year-old juvenile male. The suspect acknowledged the child was underage and told the minor that he wanted to engage in sexual acts, further enticing the minor by offering money in exchange. Suspect Guzman arranged to pick up the child in the city of San José but when he arrived, he was apprehended by Officers with the SJPD Covert Response Unit who immediately took him into custody,” the police department wrote.

An assistant principal at Sunrise Middle School was arrested along with 10 other suspects in a child exploitation sting operation in San Jose, California. (Google Maps)

Sunrise Middle School director Teresa Robinson provided Fox News Digital with a statement that noted, “We were informed by law enforcement that our assistant principal had been arrested in connection with allegations involving a minor that did not involve our school. Our immediate priority was student safety. The individual was removed from campus right away and will have no further contact with students.”

“Since then, we have spoken with students in age-appropriate ways, communicated directly with families, and made counseling support available on campus. We have also provided clear ways for anyone in our community to share concerns. At this time, there is no information indicating that any Sunrise students were involved. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement. While this is deeply upsetting, it does not reflect who we are as a school. Our focus remains on supporting our students and families,” the statement noted.