A Federal Way man was charged with attempted second-degree child rape and commercial sex abuse of a minor during a two-week undercover sting that targeted individuals who seek sex with children.

The Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force arrested and charged 10 people altogether as a result of the Pierce County operation, which wrapped up on Dec. 19.

The operation generated hundreds of responses from individuals interested in sexually exploiting children who communicated with undercover detectives online. Ten individuals agreed to meet with undercover investigators and were subsequently arrested.

During the sting, an undercover detective with the Richland Police Department posed as a 13-year-old girl named Kaylee. The fictitious girl contacted 37-year-old Manuel Antonio Figueroa, of Federal Way, via text messages and emails between Dec. 16-17, according to probable cause documents.

Figueroa contacted the detective on Dec. 16 in a Craigslist chat room via email. The detective then gave the man a phone number so they could continue their conversation via text.

Over the next two days, the detective and Figueroa continued to text each other and the majority of conversation was either sexual innuendo or specific sexual conversation.

Figueroa agreed to meet with the fictitious victim to engage in sex and was subsequently arrested on Dec. 17 at the location. During a search, police found Figueroa in possession of a condom.

Figueroa pleaded not guilty to the two charges and his bail was set at $250,000.

The operation was a collaborative effort involving multiple agencies, including the Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office and Tacoma Police Department.