Three men have been arrested in sting operations on charges they tried to meet minors for sex.

Kevin Heumaneus, 44, of Lawrenceville; Kenneth Acebal, 46, of Alpharetta; and Michael Mays, 47, of Dalton are charged with attempted child molestation.

The FBI-led Safe Child Task Force arrested Heumaneus and Acebal in Ringgold, and Mays in Dalton. The task force has made dozens of cases in northwest Georgia recently.

Authorities say the suspects began a series of online chats with undercover agents posing as minors. Then, each suspect tried to meet "with what he thought was a minor child for purposes of having sex," the FBI said.

Heumaneus and Acebel are being held at the Catoosa County Detention Center. Mays is being held at the Whitfield County Detention Center.

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Angie McBrayer, ex-wife of James Aaron McBrayer, leans her head on her son Sam McBrayer as she and her three children and two grandchildren (from left) Jackson McBrayer, 3, Piper Jae McBrayer, 7, Katy Isaza, and Jordan McBrayer, visit the grave of James McBrayer, Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Tifton. He died after being restrained by Tift County sheriff's deputies on April 24, 2019. His ex-wife witnessed the arrest and said she thought the deputies were being rough but did not imagine that McBrayer would die. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC