Former firefighter charged after police sting targeting alleged sexual predators

Update Mar. 15, 2021:Jun Jie He was acquitted in March 2020 and the charge against Mehran Arefi was stayed in December 2020.

Nikolaos Dais, Jim Malmrosand Mitchell Brett Maurer all pleaded not guilty to communicating for the sexual services of someone under 18. All four men pleaded guilty to the lesser, included offence of communicatingto obtain sexual services.

Donald Hugh Schroeder has been ordered to stand trial in B.C. Supreme Court.

The charge against Kenneth Clement is set for trial in Vancouver Provincial Court beginning Apr.19.

A former firefighter arrested in an extensive Vancouver police sting targeting predators allegedly willing to pay teenagers for sex actshas now been criminally charged.

Mitchell Brett Maurer was one of 47 suspects arrested after a months-longoperation in late 2018. Detectives posing as girls between 15 and 17 years old posted ads with fake photos on escort sites and social media, arranging hotel meetings with suspects willing to pay a fee for an agreed sex act.

Suspects who showed up at hotelswerearrested by waiting police, officers said.

Maurer, born in 1980, is now charged withobtaining for consideration the sexual services of a person under the age of 18. The District of North Vancouver confirmed heused to workthere as a firefighter, but did not say when or under what circumstances his employment came to an end.

"It would be inappropriate for us to provide further comment," a district spokesperson said in an email to CBC News.

Announcing the dozens of arrests to reporters in January, Vancouver policedeputy chiefConst.LaurenceRankin said the accused came from "all walks of life," includinga retired school teacher, a former Vancouver school trusteeand a firefighter now confirmed to be Maurer.

Maurer's name was not confirmed until he was formally charged.

A list of the men now charged is as follows:

• MarioCelo Amistad
• Jim Malmros
• Jun Jie He
• NikolaosDais
• Mitchell Brett Maurer
• Donald Schroeder
• Kenneth Clement
• Mehran Arefi

Amistad, 50, pleaded guilty to the lesser and included offence of communicating to obtain sexual services. He is set to be sentenced on Feb. 14, 2020.

The other men, excluding Maurer, have all pleaded not guilty.

Maurer is due in court on Oct. 28.