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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Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat gives a tour of Fulton County Jail in  2023. (Natrice Miller/AJC 2023)

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC