New Jersey's Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced the arrest of 19 alleged child predators this morning in Somerset County.

The suspects have all been charged with attempting to lure minors for sex.

The attorney general, along with Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson, announced the arrests as part of a collaborative child protection sting operation, they call "Operation Open Door."

According to the attorney general, the defendants used social media and chat apps to arrange for sex with underage girls and boys, but instead, they were communicating with undercover officers posing as children. 

"By arresting them, we've not only stopped them in their tracks, but we've also stopped others by sending a powerful message that no matter who you are, no matter where you're hiding, or what apps you are using, if you try to target young people for sex, we will find you and when we do, we will arrest you," says Grewal .

Sixteen of the defendants are from New Jersey and were arrested when they arrived at undercover houses throughout the state which were staffed with dozens of law enforcement officers between Oct. 23 through Oct. 28.

One defendant drove in from Pennsylvania, and two were in the state for work from Indiana.

The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office joined the FBI, the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and many other law enforcement agencies to make the arrests.