DALTON, Ga. — A Texas man who was part of an online child sex trafficking sting operation in February of 2016, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years by Superior Court Judge William Boyett last week.

Martin Juarez Jr., 27, of Austin, Texas, pleaded guilty to criminal attempt to commit child molestation and was sentenced to three years in prison with seven years to serve on probation. Upon his release, he will have to register as a sex offender, and abide by special conditions — specifically, he is to have no contact with anyone under the age of 18 with the exception of a biological child and with the permission of the child’s mother. He will also have to pay a $1,000 fine and court costs.

Juarez was one of 12 people arrested over two days in Whitfield County as part of Operation Watchful Guardians, a multi-agency undercover investigation coordinated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, along with the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Dalton Police Department, the Chattanooga Police Department and members of both the Georgia and Tennessee Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces. The Georgia task force, created by the U.S. Department of Justice and managed by the GBI, is made up of more than 200 law enforcement personnel.

According to a press release from the GBI, the investigation focused on the “demand” side of child sex trafficking, those who communicate online with children and travel to meet them to have sex, and those willing to purchase sex with a minor. The complete investigation resulted in nearly 40 arrests in both states.