Five men have been taken into custody, including two from Fall River, as part of an undercover operation targeting individuals seeking to exploit minors "through the demand for underage commercial sex," the Fall River Police Department announced on Thursday.

According to a press release from the Fall River Police Department, a joint undercover operation was conducted on March 12 by the Massachusetts State Police High Risk Victims Unit, the Fall River Police Department Community Action and Suppression Team, and the Massachusetts State Police Troop D Community Action Team.

An undercover trooper "posted a fictitious online advertisement on a website known for facilitating commercialized sex, posing as a 15-year-old female," the press release said. "After establishing probable cause, the suspect was directed to a predetermined location, where they were apprehended and subsequently charged."

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