MI- Internet child predator sting nets four Metro Detroiters

10-20-2008 Michigan: (Phase-I)

Four Metro Detroit men are among 21 arrested for allegedly trying to have sex with children they met on the Internet, Attorney General Mike Cox and Kent County Sheriff Larry Stelma announced Monday.

The sting operation, conducted from Oct. 17-19, used a decoy home in Grand Rapids. The suspects visited the home after allegedly engaging in explicit Internet chats with undercover agents posing as children, according to a news release. The suspects, all men, ranged in ages from 20 to 65. They were arrested by agents from the attorney general's office and Kent County sheriff deputies.

Most of the men were from west Michigan, while others drove hundreds of miles to the decoy house. Of those arrested, 17 were from Michigan, three were from Indiana, and one was from Illinois.

The four Metro Detroit suspects are: _____, 30, of Hazel Park; _____, 35, of Macomb Township; _____, 29, of Auburn Hills; and _____, 38, of Commerce Township.

The attorney general's office said virtually all of the defendants face at least two 20-year felonies: child sexually abuse activity and using a computer to engage in that crime.

Suspects who sent sexually explicit material online face additional counts.

All the suspects were arraigned Monday.

Other partners in the sting operation included Perverted Justice, a non-profit organization which specializes in identifying online predators, and Investigative Mechanics, Inc., which outfitted the decoy house and neighborhood with state-of-the-art video and audio surveillance equipment.

Stelma urged parents to keep a watchful eye on their children's Internet usage.

"This is a great example of law enforcement officials working together to make our community safe," he said. "It's important for adults to monitor our children's Internet activities by providing instruction and establishing rules, such as what kind of sites they can visit, when they can go on line, and how long they can stay there." ..News Source.. by Oralandar Brand-Williams / The Detroit News