Music director for Catholic school among those arrested in child sex sting operation: 'A crime, a sin, and a clear violation of ... the teachings of the Catholic Church'

The director of music ministry at a Catholic church and school in Portland, Oregon, is among several men who have been arrested after a recent child sex sting operation conducted by local law enforcement.

In an effort to identify possible sexual predators before they can attack a child, deputies with the Washington County Sheriff's Office regularly create fake profiles of underage boys and girls on "multiple dating applications, social media sites, and other online platforms." When users contact those profiles, deputies then pretend to be an underage boy or girl, giving a specific age so that no one could misunderstand the situation.

In some cases, the person on the other end decides "that's not OK and [walks] away, which is great," claimed Detective Mark Povolny.

"I'd love to do a mission where we don't arrest anybody because every single person doesn't show up," he continued.

Unfortunately, he said, that's never happened, and last Thursday's sting was no exception. That day, six suspects arrived at a pre-arranged location, where they found themselves on a date with law enforcement officers rather than with a minor.

Among those arrested was Sean Baba, a 29-year-old music director at St. Pius X Catholic Church and School. Baba, first hired by the church in November 2019, was immediately fired from his job, and the Archdiocese of Portland issued a statement condemning the allegations against him.

"This predatory behavior is a crime, a sin, and a clear violation of our employment policies, the teachings of the Catholic Church, and our mission as Christians," the statement said.

The sheriff's office confirmed that the church and school "have fully cooperated with the investigation."

Baba is not the only suspect arrested that day who works in close proximity to children. Te’Vari Jenkins, 26, is listed as the director of child development programs for Club K, an after-school program with facilities all across the country. Jenkins works at a location in Wilsonville, Oregon.

The other suspects arrested in the sting were:

• Henry Banegas Interiano, 26, of Portland,
• Ethan Caddy, 19, of Vancouver,
• Sincere Peoples, 21, of Beaverton, and
• Jackson T. West, 27, of Portland.

Baba has a pretrial hearing scheduled for April 21. As a condition of his pretrial release, he may not have contact with minors or access the internet.

Police remain concerned that the six suspects, including Baba and Jenkins, may have already violated actual victims. Anyone with more information regarding these investigations is asked to call 503-846-2700.

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