32 Arrested In Child Sex Sting Operation In Lake County

Whoever said "Oddly enough, none of the men arrested were registered sex offenders." needs an education in sex offender recidivism statistics!

6-22-2011 Florida:

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. -- Lake County detectives made 32 arrests in six days during a sex sting operation, according to the sheriff’s office.

Undercover detectives went online posing as children or the parents of children trolling for sex. Police said 32 men showed up at a house looking for sex and some brought gifts and candy, all of them were not registered sex offenders.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office held a press conference on Tuesday to announce the arrests and show what they said were the faces of men who want to have sex with children.

"Honestly, I was a little surprised at the number," said Lake County Sheriff Gary Borders.

Detectives said the 32 men traveled to a vacation home that the Lake County Sheriff's Office rented in the Four Corners area. Each of the men was expecting to have sex with a child. One man came all the way from Georgia with two young children of his own in the car, detectives said.

"It's bad enough he's driving to Lake County to meet with what he thinks is a child to have sex with, but to bring his own children with him. The best place for him is jail," said Borders.

The youngest man arrested was 19 and the oldest 63. Every one of the men were considered dangerous, which is why the sheriff's office said they had plenty of manpower during the take downs.

"We're just trying to make a safe arrest. One of the suspects had a gun in his pants," said Borders.

Each time a suspect came to the door of the home, detectives said they were waiting inside and during the operation things got very busy.

"At some points, they had three or four members sitting in cuffs on the floor of the home trying to get them processed and taken out before others showed up. So, it was very much a difficult operation to pull off," said a lieutenant of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Borders said his cyber crimes team has been in place for a few years, but this is the unit's largest sting. While the 32 men were essentially tricked by detectives, Borders said that trolling for sex with children is very real.

"I would tell you that there is that type of real activity going on on the Internet," said Borders.

Detectives said some of the suspects are in jail on Tuesday night and they all face felony charges. The men could receive a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted.

Oddly enough, none of the men arrested were registered sex offenders. ..Source.. by WFTV.com

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Three nabbed in sex sting sent to prison

12-20-2009 Michigan: Phase-I

Three men snared in an undercover sting targeting men who wanted to have sex with a minor were each sentenced to prison time Thursday.

Grand Rapids resident Timothy John Fitzhugh and Flint resident Robert Joseph Smith were both sentenced to one year to 20 years in prison while Michael Krauss, from Monroe County's LaSalle Township, was given 16 months to 20 years.

Fitzhugh, 47, earlier pleaded guilty to child sexual abusive commercial activity in exchange for prosecutor's dismissing a count of using a computer to commit that crime. Smith, 25, and Krauss, 49, each entered a plea to using a computer to commit the crime of child sexual abusive commercial activity.

Fitzhugh apologized for the "pain and heartache" he inflicted on his family due to his actions and asked for their forgiveness.

Krauss admitted what he did "was wrong" and he said he "takes full responsibility" for his actions.

The defendants were among nine men arrested in a sting that was the combined effort of Attorney General Mike Cox's office, the Livingston County Sheriff's Department and Perverted Justice, the latter of which has been involved in televised stings on "To Catch a Predator" with "Dateline NBC" and MSNBC.

At their earlier plea hearings, the men admitted to using the Internet to communicate with someone they thought was a teenager and agreeing to meet those "teens" for sex.

However, when the men came to a home in Oceola Township, east of Howell, they found armed officers waiting. Some of the nine were arrested when they entered the decoy house while others were arrested at the parking lot of a nearby fast-food restaurant, police said.

The investigation began months ago and culminated in the three-day sting, which occurred between noon Aug. 14 and 9 a.m. Aug. 16. ..Source.. Lisa Roose-Church • DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

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MI- Local Internet predator gets jailtime

9-24-2009 Michigan Phase-I:

Arrested in sting nearly a year ago

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A West Michigan man charged for his role in an Internet predator sting nearly a year ago was sentenced Thursday.

____, 22, will spend 18 - 240 months in the Michigan Department of Corrections.

The Wyoming man pleaded guilty in circuit court to one charge of using a computer or the Internet to commit a crime, as a part of a plea deal to drop two other counts, including one charge for child sexually abusive activity. ..Source.. by WOOD TV

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MI- Six nabbed in sex sting send charges to trial

9-10-2009 Michigan Phase-I:

Six of the nine men snared in an undercover sting, targeting men who wanted sex with a minor, waived a preliminary exam Wednesday, sending their cases to trial.

Two defendants — ____, 53, of Detroit, and _____, 47, of Grand Rapids — already waived the hearing. They will appear Sept. 25 in Circuit Court for a pretrial hearing.

Another defendant, ____, is undergoing a mental exam to determine if he is competent to stand trial. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox's office also added a third charge against the 40-year-old Clawson man of using the Internet to communicate with another to commit a crime for allegedly sending sexually explicit photographs to a person he thought was a minor.

The sting was the combined effort of Cox's office, the Livingston County Sheriff's Department and Perverted Justice, the latter of which has been involved in televised stings on "To Catch a Predator" with "Dateline NBC" and MSNBC.

Officials with the attorney general's office said as many as 150 people communicated with the decoys from Perverted Justice through various online communications, including Craigslist and instant messaging.

A spokesman with the attorney general's office said charges will be pursued against the people who engaged in the illegal chat, but who did not come to the house.

The nine defendants were the ones who came to a home in Oceola Township, east of Howell, where armed officers were waiting. Some of the defendants were arrested when they entered the decoy house while others were arrested at the parking lot of a nearby fast-food restaurant, police said.

The investigation began months ago and culminated in the three-day sting, which occurred between noon Aug. 14 and 9 a.m. Aug. 16.

The defendants who waived their preliminary exam on Wednesday are:

____, 49, of LaSalle Township, who is a security guard. His attorney, Steven Dodge, renewed his request to reduce his client's bond, citing ____' diabetic needs, but Judge Theresa Brennan again denied the request.

____, 37, of Eastpointe, who thought he was meeting a 14-year-old boy at the sting. At the last minute, ____ told police that he wanted to meet at a McDonald's restaurant, which is where police arrested him in the parking lot. Police said ____ is a disc jockey but his attorney said the man also is a licensed life insurance agent.

____, 50, of Flint, who is a postal carrier. He is the only defendant free on bond.

____, 24, of Flint, a Frito-Lay employee.

____, 29, of Rochester Hills, a software designer. His lawyer also asked for a bond reduction, but Brennan denied the request.

____, 29, of Columbus, Ohio, told police that he is an Indian citizen in the United States for about a month as a software programmer. He told police that he took a cab to the decoy home after taking a bus from Columbus to Detroit.

..Source.. by Lisa Roose-Church • DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

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MI- East Grand Rapids, Wyoming men caught in online predator sting sentenced to prison

9-25-2009 Michigan Phase-I:

GRAND RAPIDS -- Two area men were sentenced to prison Thursday after they were arrested in a state sting in October targeting online predators.

____, 22, of Wyoming, was sentenced in Kent County Circuit Court to 18 months to 20 years in prison after he pled guilty to using a computer and/or the Internet to communicate to commit a crime. Investigators say ____ communicated with a minor to arrange a meeting for sex at a Grand Rapids Township home.

Under ____'s plea agreement, another computer crime charge and a charge of child sexually abusive activity were dismissed.

____, 24, of East Grand Rapids, was sentenced to 19 months to 20 years after being charged with child sexually abusive activity and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime. As part of a plea agreement, ____ pled guilty to one count of using a computer to commit a crime and all other charges were dropped, court record show. ..Source.. by The Grand Rapids Press staff

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MI- Two nabbed in sex sting send charges to trial

Of the nine alleged offenders, possibly one was from the local area. That means this sting brought offenders to Howell which would not normally have come to Howell, and put the costs of prosecuting them on the shoulders of Howell taxpayers. In addition, who is paying the costs of this sting, including Perverted Justice, their decoys and months of time spent on the Internet, as well as the third party company which appears to have installed equipment for this sting? Local taxpayers?

8-25-2009 Michigan Phase-I:

The nine defendants snared in an undercover sting targeting men who wanted sex with a minor were in court Monday morning.

Two defendants — ____, 53, of Detroit and ____, 47, of Grand Rapids — waived a preliminary exam, sending their case to Circuit Court for trial. No new court dates were immediately available.

Defendant ___ will undergo a mental exam to determine if he is competent to stand trial. The attorney general's office also added a third charge against the 40-year-old Clawson man of using the Internet to communicate with another to commit a crime for allegedly sending sexually explicit photographs to a person he thought was a minor.

The remaining defendants will return to District Court in Brighton for preliminary exam or pretrial conference on Sept. 9.

The sting was the combined efforts of Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox's office, the Livingston County Sheriff's Department and Perverted Justice, the latter of which has been involved in televised stings on "To Catch a Predator" with "Dateline NBC" and MSNBC.

Officials with the attorney general's office said as many as 150 people communicated with the decoys from Perverted Justice through various online communications, including Craigslist and instant messaging.

Although I don't doubt many folks communicated with PJ decoys, as claimed here and in earlier stings, but truth be told, none were ever prosecuted in earlier stings. It is likely this is a statement to sensationalize what actually occurred.

A spokesman with the attorney general's office says charges will be pursued against the people who engaged in the illegal chat, but who did not come to the house.

The nine defendants were the ones who came to a home in Oceola Township, east of Howell, where armed officers were waiting this month. Some of the defendants were arrested when they entered the decoy house while others were arrested at the parking lot of a nearby fast-food restaurant, police said.

The investigation began months ago and culminated in the three-day sting, which occurred be-tween noon Aug. 14 and 9 a.m. Aug. 16. ..Source.. by Lisa Roose-Church • DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

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MI- Sex sting nabs nine

8-19-2009 Michigan Phase-I:

A retired Detroit police officer, a grocery store clerk, a security guard, and postal carrier are among the nine men jailed this weekend in an undercover sting that targeted men who wanted sex with a minor.

Each of the nine men was arraigned Monday in Livingston County District Court on 20-year felony charges of child abusive commercial activity and using a computer to commit the crime. They are being held in the county jail on $200,000 bond.

"It's obviously a serious problem; certainly troubling," Tom Cameron, chief of the attorney general's Criminal Justice Bureau, said at a Monday news conference held at the Sheriff's Department. "We believe this was a successful sting ...

"We can't arrest our way out of this problem," he added, a reference to the number of predators targeting youngsters online.

Armed Livingston County sheriff's deputies arrested the men as they came to an undisclosed Livingston County home or a local fast-food restaurant parking lot to have sex with a 14-year-old boy or girl who was actually an undercover officer.

The investigation began months ago, when the men used various online communications, including Craigslist and instant messaging, to talk with a person they thought was a child and culminated in the three-day sting, which occurred between noon Friday and 9 a.m. Sunday.

I wonder, having never been on Craigslist, is there a chatroom section for minors? If not, why would Perverted Justice be in an adult chatroom talking as a minor? DO minors visit such places placing themselves at risk? Questions abound here..

As many as 150 people communicated with the decoys from Perverted Justice, a nonprofit organization that specializes in identifying online predators.

Interesting note, today the media provided two transcripts ( #1 and #2 ) of the alleged interactions with a minor (police decoy), but those transcripts only cover the period of discussion over the weekend.

The transcripts fail to show what actually occurred in the months beforehand in discussions with Perverted-Justice (PJ) decoys. The techniques used by PJ decoys is unknown, but given discussions transpired over a significant period of time, it resulted in a trust developed to setup the final discussion with a police officer.

In another sting related news article they report that "perverted justice monitors online chat rooms and websites," there it was Craigslist "Casual Encounters." One has to wonder if the men arrested this weekend were lured -over time- from such a chat room through trust developing techniques (possibly discussing sexual issues not necessarily with minors), then setup in today's reported sting. That may very well be how they hone their techniques. Finally, one has to wonder if -absent the PJ trust developing techniques- would these men actually do what they did this weekend?

Cameron said authorities are pursing charges against those individuals who did not show up at the decoy house, and that those individuals had indicated in their chats that they wouldn't meet because of their concerns about police stings.

"Of those 150, there's a subset of 50 that have actually gone to the point of setting up a meeting, talked about sex, wanted to have sex and know the age of the child, and know what they're doing," Dennis Ker of Perverted Justice told WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit.

Cameron said one decoy posted that he was a 14-year-old boy and he received more than 100 hits from people wanting to have sex or "some relationship" with the "boy."

One of the nine arrested was _____, a 49-year-old security guard from Monroe County who thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl. As police arrested him, he said, "I didn't mean to do this, guys, please!" Channel 7 reported. He said he used to be a military police officer.

_____ declined the Daily Press & Argus' request for an interview, but he told Channel 7 that despite the sexually explicit conversations, he really isn't a predator.

"I don't go out there every day stalking people, because I know better," he said. "Why I did this, I have no idea. I don't need to be a predator,"

To explain why he drove 72 miles to meet a child, _____ said: "Well, today I was coming up as an adult going to talk to a child. I wasn't going to do anything. They searched me. If I was going to do something, I would have protection on me."

Suspect _____, 47, of Grand Rapids, was arrested at an area McDonald's parking lot after coming to the county to have sex with a person he thought was a 14-year-old boy. Police said _____ had condoms, lubricant and pornographic videos when he was arrested.

In an online conversation, _____ asks the decoy "when do you turn 15?" The decoy asks how old _____ is and he replies: "I'm 47, would that be too old to get together?"

_____ also discusses taking a shower with the decoy and reassures him that he is "clean, disease free and HIV neg. (sic)."

Sheriff Bob Bezotte said he was not surprised by the diverse men arrested in the sting.

"They come from all walks of life," he said. "It's disconcerting to learn how many people engage in this activity."

Also among those arrested are:

# Retired Detroit Police Officer _____, 53, who counseled the undercover agent on how to avoid saving chat logs and threatened to kill himself if he was turned in. He was arrested at a nearby fast-food restaurant parking lot.

# _____, 40, of Clawson, who spent $110 for a cab ride to Livingston County to meet a person he thought was a 14-year-old girl named Samantha. Custer, who allegedly told the online decoy, "I wanna have sex with you," was arrested after arriving at the home on foot.

# _____, 37, of Eastpointe, who thought he was meeting a 14-year-old boy. At the last minute, _____, a disc jockey, told police that he wanted to meet at McDonald's, which is where police arrested him in the parking lot.

# _____, 29, of Columbus, Ohio, told police that he is an Indian citizen in the United States for about a month as a software programmer. He told police that he took a cab to the decoy home after taking a bus from Columbus to Detroit.

# _____, 50, of Flint, who is a postal carrier.

# _____, 24, of Flint, a Frito-Lay employee.

# _____, 29, of Rochester Hills, a software designer.

The sting was the combined efforts of Michigan attorney general's office, county Sheriff's Department and Perverted Justice.

Bezotte said state authorities previously conducted a similar sting in Western Michigan, but chose Livingston County this time because it was a central location to lure the predators. ..Source.. by Lisa Roose-Church

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MI- Undercover Op to Catch Sexual Offenders

8-16-2009 Michigan Phase-I:

A sex sting leads to multiple arrests. Detectives found internet predators on the world wide web and arrested them right here in mid-Michigan. The operation took place over the weekend and the suspects include a former Detroit police officer, a postal worker and a grocery store clerk. The men are accused of using their computers to prey on underage kids. A few key strokes, a couple clicks, it's an invitation to connect and how authorities found nine men who wanted to meet with underage children for sex.

Tom Cameron, Attorney General Bureau Chief: "They engage in very explicit conversations about sexual activities."

Conversations that take place in internet chat rooms, popular instant messaging sites or through ads on Craigslist. Detectives create a fake profile and wait. It doesn't take long.

Sheriff Robert Bezotte, Livingston County: "What we found was, in many cases, they were literally descended on by a predator."

In this case the predators did more than chat. Police say they made a move to a fake address, leading to their arrests.

Sheriff Robert Bezotte: "They're the ones that actually come to the home and try to have sex with minors."

Although the sting operation happened over the weekend, investigators say it can take months to build enough trust with these predators to lead them to a decoy house, because once they're there, it's enough evidence to put them behind bars. Prosecutors charged the men with sexually abusive activity and using a computer to commit that crime, 2 counts that carry 20 years apiece. Even though the department made nine arrests, detectives say there could be more to come. They'll investigate more than 150 who chatted, but didn't choose to meet up. ..Source.. by Liz Geraldi

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MI- 9 Accused Cyber Predators Jailed

This news story points to, what I see as a potential problem, supposedly -in every case- the teens were in "Chat rooms and on Craig's List."

Not to say that teens are not allowed at either place, BUT, what kind of chat rooms and what portion of Craig's list?

Where the teens in places where they are permitted?

Did those places have sufficient "Warnings" that -if adult only- they made such known to people signing in to them?

Are teens -being of a curious age- placing themselves at risk?

Do these places need to be further controlled by laws to protect underage kids from conversations with adults? etc. etc. etc.

8-16-2009 Michigan Phase-I:

Police Investigated 150

HOWELL, Mich. -- Nine men are behind bars accused of trying to have sex with a child after meeting them on the Internet.

Police said the men drove from all over Michigan and Ohio to meet with a cop who posed as a teenager for sex.

The Michigan Attorney General's office and Livingston County Sheriff's department teamed up with Perverted Justice for a three-day sting operation in Howell.

On Monday, Sheriff Robert Bezotte announced results of that sting that took place from Aug 14-16.

Police said more than 150 men attempted to engage in sexual activity with officers posing as children.

"It's very disturbing because we are only touch the tip of the ice berg," said Sheriff Bezotte.

Those arrested include a retired Detroit police officer, a grocery store clerk from Clarkston, a local security guard, a postal carrier and a software engineer from metro Detroit.

The men range from 24 to 53 years old.

The defendants were charged with child sexually abusive activity and using a computer to commit a crime, both felonies.

"The message for predators is loud and clear," said Attorney General Mike Cox. "We are watching. If you attempt to target a child, we will take you offline."

Those arrested are:

# _____, 53, of Detroit. Police said Allen is a retired City of Detroit police officer who counseled the undercover agent on how to avoid saving chat logs and threatened to kill himself if turned in.

_____ was arrested at a nearby fast food restaurant parking lot.

# _____, 40, of Clawson. Clawson is a grocery store clerk who took a cab from Oakland County to the decoy location, later arriving at the home on foot.

He was arrested outside the home.

# _____, 37, of Eastpointe. Lombardo is a music D.J., who was taken into custody at a nearby fast-food restaurant parking lot.

# _____, 49, of LaSalle in Monroe County. Krauss is a security guard who was taken into custody when he walked into the decoy home.

# _____, 29, of Columbus, Ohio; reported that he is an Indian citizen in the United States for about a month as a software programmer.

Police said _____ took a cab to the decoy home after taking a bus from Columbus to Detroit.

# _____, 47, of Grand Rapids; also arrested by authorities at a fast-food restaurant parking lot while carrying condoms, lubricant and pornographic videos.

# _____, 24, of Flint.

# _____, 29, of Rochester Hills.

# _____, 50, of Flint.

Police said in each case the men used chat rooms or Craig's List to find the teens.

Internet Crimes Detective Matthew Shutts sat down with Local 4 Monday to show how fast investigators can lure child predators online.

"I've just logged in and had 2 contacts within probably 20 seconds," said Shutts, who was posing as a child looking for sex in an internet chat room.

Attorney General Mike Cox said investigators will work to locate the men who responded to the online postings and were not arrested.

"This is a reminder for parents that the Internet is being used by predators to target our children," said Cox. "Parents must be monitoring what their kids are doing online and talk often with them about the dangers of communicating with people they don't know and trust." ..Source.. by ClickOnDetroit.com.

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MI- 9 arrested in 'Net child predator sting

In last night's report there were 10 folks arrested, wonder what happened to the 10th one?

8-17-2009 Michigan Phase-I:

A Grand Rapids man is one of the suspects

LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) - Attorney General Mike Cox's office and Livingston County Sheriff Robert Bezotte Monday announced the results of an undercover Internet child predator sting that took place in Howell from August 14-16.

The sting resulted in the arrest of nine men accused of trying to engage in sexual activity after targeting who they thought were children online.

"The message for predators is loud and clear," Cox said in a statement. "We are watching. If you attempt to target a child, we will take you offline."

The men were taken into custody at or near a decoy home in the Howell area after engaging in sexually explicit Internet chats with undercover agents posing as children.

All defendants who traveled to have sex with a child were charged with child sexually abusive activity and a similar charge of using a computer to commit that offense. Both charges are felonies. Additional counts are charged if the defendant sent pornographic images to the undercover agents.

The defendants --

* _____, 47, of Grand Rapids; arrested by authorities at a fast-food restaurant parking lot while carrying condoms, lubricant and pornographic videos

* _____, 53, of Detroit; a retired City of Detroit police officer who counseled the undercover agent on how to avoid saving chat logs and threatened to kill himself if turned in. Allen was arrested at a nearby fast food restaurant parking lot

* _____, 40, of Clawson; a grocery store clerk who took a cab from Oakland County to the decoy location, later arriving at the home on foot. He was arrested outside the home

* _____, 37, of Eastpointe; a music D.J., was arrested by officers at a fast-food restaurant parking lot

* _____, 49, of La Salle; a security guard who was arrested upon entering the decoy home

* _____, 29, of Columbus, Ohio; reported that he is an Indian citizen in the United States for about a month as a software programmer. Reported that he took a cab to the decoy home after taking a bus from Columbus to Detroit

* _____, 24, of Flint

* _____, 29, of Rochester Hills

* _____, 50, of Flint

Additional arrests are likely for people who transmitted sexually explicit material but did not travel to the decoy location.

Prior to this operation, Cox's office had already arrested 236 Internet predators after creating one of the first Internet child protection units in the nation.

This number is questionable as there was only two stings in 2008. SO where did the rest come from? Likely the efforts of local agencies around the state which Cox is trying to take credit for.

The defendants were all willing to travel for sex with a child despite long distances or lack of personal transportation, with two taking taxi cabs to the location. Many of the accused predators mentioned in their online chats that they feared being caught in a sting situation and declined to come to the home, asking to meet at nearby locations instead. This change in tactics indicates that previous Attorney General stings have had an effect on predators who in the previous stings regularly and boldly entered decoy homes with the intent to abuse children.

However, Cox notes that predator chat activity online remained very active and aggressive during this operation, so parents must take the lead role in monitoring their children's Internet activities to keep them safe.

"This is a reminder for parents that the Internet is being used by predators to target our children," said Cox. "Parents must be monitoring what their kids are doing online and talk often with them about the dangers of communicating with people they don't know and trust."

Other partners in the sting operation included Perverted Justice, a non-profit organization that 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. ..Source.. by WOOD TV8.com

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MI- CATALLO: 10 Arrested in Sex Predator Sting

8-16-2009 Michigan Phase-I:

HOWELL, Mich. (WXYZ) - In a major Action News Exclusive, police call them predators, they drive for miles, just to have sex with children in our area, but tonight they are busted, locked up in jail after an undercover sting.

Only one reporter was allowed to be inside that sting, Action News Investigator Heather Catallo.

WATCH HEATHER'S REPORTS IN THE VIDEO (on the right)

Heather:
I’m at the Livingston County Sheriff’s dept where these accused sexual predators are now locked up. Ten men traveled from places like Monroe County, Grand Rapids, one man even hopped a bus from Ohio, all hoping to have sex with a young teenager.

Officers:
"That’s him right there!"

"I think that’s our guy."

They think they are meeting up with a young girl or young boy for sex. Instead these accused predators are greeted by armed sheriff’s deputies.

In a house wired with hidden cameras, investigators from the Michigan Attorney General's office and Livingston County Sheriff's deputies teamed up with the non-profit group Perverted Justice for a 3 day sting operation.

"We’re watching too, if he comes back online, then we’ll know that he’s playing us."

The Action News Investigators were granted exclusive access to the sting, which started Friday afternoon.

"He’s checking us out pretty hard."

.For weeks dozens of decoys from Perverted Justice have been chatting online with about 150 predators, all of them thought they were talking to a young teenage boy or girl from southeast Michigan.

Dennis Ker/Perverted Justice:
"Of those 150, there’s a subset of 50 that have actually gone to the point of setting up a meeting, talked about sex, wanted to have sex, and know the age of the child, and know what they’re doing."

Every car that rolls down the street is scrutinized.

"This is a slow roll – slow roll."

But this suspect approaches the sting house on foot.

"That’s the guy who was supposed to take a cab. He might have had the cab drop him off up the road. That’s him! That’s him!"

His screen name is Hel_Bomber, and he thinks he’s meeting up with 14-year-old Samantha. His real name is John Deleo Custer, and this 40-year-old from Clawson has already told the decoy on-line: "i wanna have sex with you."

"And he’s the guy who’s supposed to be bringing 2 videos, and he had 2 in his hand."

Custer never actually came to the door, but after checking out the webcam shot he sent the decoy – the investigators from the Attorney General’s office send in the deputies to snag him.

"Just see if you can find him."

After arresting Custer, deputies seized the 2 movies he’d brought along, as well as the receipt showing that this grocery store clerk spent $110 on cab fare to get to the sting house.

Del Harvey/Perverted Justice:
"Well, I guess he’s been pretty up front with his intent."

A very explicit late night chat on Craig’s list drums up this guy: 37-year-old Jason Jerome Lombardo.

Decoy Del Harvey prepares herself to look like the 14-year-old boy Lombardo is expecting. But at the last minute, this party DJ from Eastpointe decides he doesn’t want to meet at the house.

"He wants to meet at McDonalds. Let’s go."

The deputies arrest him in the restaurant parking lot.

Heather/On Camera:
"Jason, why did you want to do this tonight?"

So Lombardo’s 2 a.m. rendezvous will actually be in the Livingston County Jail.

Heather/On Camera:
"Why did you want to have sex with a young child?"

On Saturday afternoon a 49-year-old security guard and grandfather drives 72 miles ...

"That’s him right there!"

… from Monroe County to meet up with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

"Ok, Del, we’re off the phone with him. He’s coming out of the door!"

Del the decoy waves Michael Krauss into the house and the deputies take him down.

Mike Krauss/Arrested in Predator Sting:
"I didn’t mean to do this guys, please!

Krauss says he used to be a military police officer.

Mike Krauss/Arrested in Predator Sting:
"I didn’t touch nothing, I don’t want to be on the predators list, I’m a security officer."

Now he’s in custody, along with 29-year-old Dipankar Roy, who traveled all the way from Columbus, Ohio by bus and cab – hoping to have sex with a 13-year-old girl.

In his online chat, this software engineer told the decoy, "don’t say anything about me to ur mother becoz u r under 18."

He gets to the front door of the sting house and then gets busted.

The Attorney General's investigators also nabbed 53-year-old George William Allen.

Later the deputies arrested 47-year-old Timothy John Fitzhugh from Grand Rapids. Officials say he was caught at a nearby McDonalds hoping to have sex with a 14-year-old boy.

John Sellek:
"Our #1 goal, is to get as many people offline, and frankly into a prison cell as we can."

Heather:
All 10 men have been charged with several felonies, including child sexually abusive activity and computer crimes.

Coming up after the jump, Heather sits face-to-face with one of these accused predators. You’ll hear why he was so driven to approach a child for sex. ..Source.. by WXYZ.com




Man Arrested in Predator Sting Speaks Out

8-16-2009 Michigan:

HOWELL, Mich. (WXYZ) - More information on our Action News Exclusive, the Michigan Attorney General has nabbed 10 accused sexual predators in a major sting this weekend and Action News Investigator Heather Catallo was the only reporter allowed to have an inside look at this hi-tech operation.

WATCH HEATHER CATALLO'S REPORT IN THE VIDEO (on the right)

Heather:
You’re about to hear first hand, what was going through the mind of one of those accused predators who was arrested in this weekend’s sting.

They thought they were meeting up with young teens for sex, instead these men ended up in jail.

Investigators from the Michigan Attorney General's office, along with Livingston County Sheriff’s deputies teamed up with the non-profit group Perverted Justice for a 3 day sting operation.

Only Action News was allowed inside the sting house that was wired with hidden cameras to capture every move of the men who thought they were meeting up with underage girls and boys for sex.

"He’s coming out the door, and he’s coming to the side door."

On Saturday afternoon, deputies arrested 49-year-old Michael Krauss from LaSalle, Michigan.

Mike Krauss/Arrested in Sting:
"I’m not a sexual predator."

Krauss tells the deputies he used to be a military police officer – and he says he currently works as a security guard for a large insurance company in Detroit.

"I know better. Ok, why don’t you come with me for now alright?"

Krauss may say he knows better., but according to his chat log that the Action News Investigators have obtained, his requests for sex with the 14-year-old decoy girl are very explicit.

At one point, he writes "i want you to feel the pleasure a man can give you."
After Krauss is interviewed by detectives – he agrees to speak with me.

Heather:
"Do you consider yourself a predator?"

Mike Krauss/Arrested in Sting:
"Um, with that email, it looks like I’m a predator. But I’m not. I don’t go out stalking people. I know better. Why I did this, I have no idea. I don’t need to be a predator."

Heather:
"Do you think you acted like one today, though?"

Mike Krauss/Arrested in Sting:
"I, well, today I was coming up as an adult, gonna talk to a child, I wasn’t gonna do anything. They searched me, if I was gonna do something, I would have had protection on me."

Krauss insists he drove 72 miles just to tell the girl that they could not, in fact, have sex.

Mike Krauss/Arrested in Sting:
"I was just gonna stop in, talk to her, and keep going to my kids house."

Heather:
"But you wouldn’t have been arrested if you hadn’t said some pretty explicit things to someone who you thought was 14."

Mike Krauss/Arrested in Sting:
"I know, I know. Like I said, I don’t know why I did that. I really don’t."

Heather:
"Why didn’t you stop when you knew she was 14?"

Mike Krauss/Arrested in Sting:
"I don’t know, I really don’t. I just wanted to see if she was real."

Heather:
"Do you think you have a problem?"

Mike Krauss/Arrested in Sting:
"I think I do."

Heather:
"What kind of problem?"

Mike Krauss/Arrested in Sting:
"My wife hasn’t given me affection that a married couple should have in a year. And, I guess I was just looking for some companionship for a little bit."

Heather:
"But why reach out to a child?"

Mike Krauss/Arrested in Sting:
"I know, I’ve got kids of my own. I’ve raised them as a cop should, I watch out for people, and I was just stupid for that time."

Krauss and the other 10 people arrested in the sting this weekend are now charged with felony child sexually abusive activity and computer crimes. They are all facing the possibility of decades behind bars. ..Source.. by WXYZ.com

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MI- Sentence, plea for 2 Internet predators

7-30-2009 Michigan Phase-I:

Two of the 21 men nabbed in an October 2008 Internet predator sting in Grand Rapids Township were in court Wednesday.

_____, of Addison, Ill., was sentenced to one year in the Kent County jail and five years of probation.

The 25-year-old entered a guilty plea to one count of child sexually abusive activity in May as part of a plea agreement. One count of using a computer or the Internet to commit a crime was dropped.

For weeks, volunteers with the group Perverted Justice chatted with 200 men from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. The suspects had already contacted the "teens" - adults acting as decoys - in online chat rooms. The decoys then agreed to meet the suspects for sex.

One by one, the men showed up at the door of a Grand Rapids Township home, as Del Harvey, a young-looking 26-year-old volunteer with Perverted Justice, greeted them. The men thought they were following their 13-year-old date. Instead, they were met with armed agents and deputies.

Another man busted in the sting, _____ of Wyoming, entered a guilty plea Wednesday.

The 22-year-old pleaded guilty in circuit court to one charge of using a computer or the Internet to commit a crime, as a part of a plea deal to drop two other counts, including one charge for child sexually abusive activity.

The agreement calls for a sentence of 18 to 240 months in prison.

_____ will be sentenced in September. ..Source.. by WOOD TV.com

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MI- Michigan Man sentenced to 1-20 years in prison for Internet crime in underage sex sting

7-9-2009 Michigan: Phase-I

GRAND RAPIDS -- Another of the 20 men swept up in an undercover police sting that set up men who allegedly were seeking underage sex was sentenced to one to 20 years behind bars.

____, 29, pleaded guilty in May to using a computer and the Internet to commit a crime.

He and 20 other men arrested in the sting actually were talking with undercover officers. The group Perverted Justice and the state Attorney General's Office helped on the sting.

____, of Kentwood, believed he was talking to a 14-year-old girl instead of the adult undercover investigator. Many of the men were from outside the West Michigan area, and about half have pleaded or been convicted. ..Source.. by The Grand Rapids Press

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MI- Bryon Township man sentenced as part of Internet sex sting

5-26-2009 Michigan Phase-I:

GRAND RAPIDS -- A 25-year-old Byron Township man will spend 18 months to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in Kent County Circuit Court to using the Internet to commit child sexually abusive conduct.

____ was one of more than 20 men arrested in a sting targeting online predators, conducted by the state Attorney General's Office and the group Perverted Justice. ____' lawyer, Craig Haehnel, said his client has been diagnosed with leukemia.

Judge James Robert Redford allowed ____ to wait a week before beginning his sentence so he could have time to arrange his medical treatment with prison officials.

____ attended Grand Rapids Community College, has a 2-year-old child and worked full time at an automotive repair shop.

He believed he was talking to a 14-year-old and arranging a sexual encounter before he was arrested. ..News Source.. by Jeff Haywood

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CA- Failed hard drive becomes issue in predator sting case

When you need a comvenience store you can never find one, but you can always create one. We will be following this very interesting case.

5-21-2009 California

A Sonoma County judge wants additional testimony from a prosecution witness in the case against an East Bay oncologist arrested in a televised “online sex-predator” sting three years ago in Petaluma.

At issue is the potential admissibility of key evidence against Dr. Maurice Wolin, 51.

Judge Arthur Andy Wick tentatively ruled Thursday in favor of defense attorneys who were seeking an explanation from prosecutors about why they haven’t turned over a computer hard drive a decoy allegedly used during electronic chats with Wolin.

Wolin was among 29 men arrested in August 2006 during a three-day sting police conducted in partnership with the advocacy group Perverted Justice and producers of Dateline NBC’s “To Catch a Predator” TV series. The sting resulted in two hours of programming showing men arriving at an East Petaluma home, ostensibly to meet with an underage boy or girl with whom they’d arranged a rendezvous online.

Prosecutors said the decoy — the founder of Perverted Justice, Xavier Von Erck, who calls his members vigilantes — told them the hard drive on which he recorded the Wolin chats on crashed two years ago and that its data is irretrievable.

Wolin’s attorneys questioned the timing of the alleged computer crash and Von Erck’s motives and truthfulness. Von Erck’s organization was paid $140,000 for the Petaluma sting and Von Erck himself takes a $125,000 salary from Perverted Justice.

Wolin is charged with attempted lewd conduct with a child, a felony that could mean a maximum of four years in prison if he is convicted. He also would have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. His medical license has been suspended pending the outcome of the case.

On Thursday, Wick indicated he would issue a written ruling that would order an evidentiary hearing to pin Von Erck down on when the hard drive crashed, exactly what that means and how he says he copied the contents of the hard drive onto a portable thumb drive.

The data from the thumb drive — chat logs that show four days of sexually tinged conversations, allegedly between Wolin and a 13-year-old girl — was entered into evidence at Wolin’s preliminary hearing in 2007 after Von Erck testified that the information was a true representation of the conversations.

One of Wolin’s attorneys, Blair Berk of Los Angeles, said the revelation of the hard drive failure raises doubts about the reliability of the chats and calls into question the chain of custody for evidence prosecutors want to use against Wolin.

“The defense believes they are a false, inaccurate and incomplete reflection of the actual chat,” she told Wick.

Prosecutor Brian Staebell said the defense greatly overstates the importance of the chats and the damaged hard drive. He said Von Erck already had copied the relevant files and “there is no more information on it.”

Wick said he remains concerned about the reliability of the logs and their chain of custody. He tentatively set a June 15 hearing date to have Von Erck explain under oath what happened, and when, with his computer equipment, and where it is now. Computer experts also may testify.

Wick previously dealt the prosecution a blow by ruling that Petaluma Police twice violated Wolin’s Miranda rights by continuing to interrogate him after he’d asked for a lawyer. Wolin’s statements to police were tossed out.

The ruling didn’t exclude other prosecution evidence against Wolin, including the chats and video recordings showing Wolin arriving at the house, talking with a female decoy and being arrested after he apparently saw TV monitors and began to leave.

Several times during the chats, Wolin declined or expressed discomfort with idea of a meeting, saying that they “can’t do anything” if they did meet. Wolin acknowledges driving from the Bay Area to the Petaluma home police had staked out and rigged with cameras for the sting. But he contends he wasn’t intending to engage in sex acts.

Wolin has been free on bail since shortly after his arrest. ..News Source.. by LORI A. CARTER, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT




Judge seeks additional testimony in sex sting: Ruling in Petaluma case would review admissibility of evidence against East Bay doctor

5-22-2009 California:

A Sonoma County judge wants additional testimony from a key prosecution witness against an East Bay oncologist arrested in a televised "online sex-predator" sting three years ago in Petaluma.

At issue is the potential admissibility of key evidence against Dr. Maurice Wolin, 51.

Judge Arthur Andy Wick tentatively ruled Thursday in favor of defense attorneys, who were seeking an explanation from prosecutors about why they haven't turned over a computer hard drive a decoy allegedly used during electronic chats with Wolin.

Wolin was among 29 men arrested in August 2006 during a three-day sting police conducted in partnership with the advocacy group Perverted Justice and producers of Dateline NBC's "To Catch a Predator" TV series. The sting resulted in two hours of programming showing men arriving at an East Petaluma home, ostensibly to meet with an underage boy or girl with whom they'd arranged a rendezvous online.

Prosecutors said the decoy -- the founder of Perverted Justice, Xavier Von Erck, who calls his members vigilantes -- told them the hard drive on which he recorded the Wolin chats crashed two years ago and that its data is irretrievable.

Wolin's attorneys questioned the timing of the alleged computer crash and Von Erck's motives and truthfulness. Von Erck's organization was paid $140,000 for the Petaluma sting and Von Erck himself takes a $125,000 salary from Perverted Justice.

Wolin is charged with attempted lewd conduct with a child, a felony that could mean a maximum of four years in prison if he is convicted. He also would have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. His medical license has been suspended pending the outcome of the case.

On Thursday, Wick indicated he would issue a written ruling that would order an evidentiary hearing to pin Von Erck down on when the hard drive crashed, exactly what that means and how he says he copied the contents of the hard drive onto a portable thumb drive.

The data from the thumb drive -- chat logs that show four days of sexually tinged conversations, allegedly between Wolin and a 13-year-old girl -- was entered into evidence at Wolin's preliminary hearing in 2007 after Von Erck testified that the information was a true representation of the conversations.

One of Wolin's attorneys, Blair Berk of Los Angeles, said the revelation of the hard drive failure raises doubts about the reliability of the chats and calls into question the chain of custody for evidence prosecutors want to use against Wolin.

"The defense believes they are a false, inaccurate and incomplete reflection of the actual chat," she told Wick.

Prosecutor Brian Staebell said the defense greatly overstates the importance of the chats and the damaged hard drive. He said Von Erck already had copied the relevant files and "there is no more information on it."

Wick said he remains concerned about the reliability of the logs and their chain of custody. He tentatively set a June 15 hearing date to have Von Erck explain under oath what happened, and when, with his computer equipment, and where it is now. Computer experts also may testify.

Wick previously dealt the prosecution a blow by ruling that Petaluma police twice violated Wolin's Miranda rights by continuing to interrogate him after he'd asked for a lawyer. Wolin's statements to police were tossed out.

The ruling didn't exclude other prosecution evidence against Wolin, including the chats and video recordings showing Wolin arriving at the house, talking with a female decoy and being arrested after he apparently saw TV monitors and began to leave.

Several times during the chats, Wolin declined or expressed discomfort with idea of a meeting, saying that they "can't do anything" if they did meet. Wolin acknowledges driving from the Bay Area to the Petaluma home police had staked out and rigged with cameras for the sting. But he contends he wasn't intending to engage in sex acts.

Wolin has been free on bail since shortly after his arrest. ..Source.. by Lori A. Carter

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MI- Former Cedar Springs soccer coach asks for forgiveness, but judge denies request for more lenient sentence in Internet sex sting case

5-21-2009 Michigan: (Phase-I)

GRAND RAPIDS -- A 21-year-old former junior varsity boys soccer coach at Cedar Springs Schools today was sentenced to six months in jail and another six months on a tether after he was caught in an Internet sex predator sting.

____ also was ordered to perform 300 hours of community service, placed on five years of probation and must complete a sex offender treatment program. He must register as a sex offender.

"I'm asking for forgiveness," ____ said in a short statement to the court. "My actions were contrary to everything I've been taught."

Kent County Circuit Court Judge Mark Trusock denied the defense lawyer's request to sentence ____ under more lenient youth sentencing laws (HYTA) to "give him a second chance at life and spare him the scarlet letter of the sex offenders list."

Trusock did say that ____ was an asset to his family and friends and that court evaluations show he is a low risk for re-offense.

___ corresponded for two months on the Internet with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl, and then showed up to have sex with her at a Grand Rapids Township home, police said.

He and 20 other men arrested in the sting actually were talking with undercover officers. The group Perverted Justice and the state Attorney General's Office helped on the sting.

Also Thursday, another suspect, ____, 35, of Macomb, pleaded guilty in Kent County Circuit Court to using a computer to commit child sexually abusive activity. ..News Source.. by Cassie Foss | The Grand Rapids Press

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MI- Cedar Springs man pleads guilty, sentenced to year in jail as part of Internet sex sting; father says it was entrapment

5-18-2009 Michigan: (Phase-I)

GRAND RAPIDS -- ____ chatted online with a girl he thought was just 14, and even drove by what he thought was her Grand Rapids Township home.

But he never met with the teen and, when police working with on an Internet predator sting caught up with ____, the 34-year-old insurance representative was more than 20 miles from the girl's alleged home. He had no condoms or alcohol in his car.

Nonetheless, the Cedar Springs man pleaded guilty to using the Internet to communicate in order to commit a crime and was sentenced Monday to one year in the Kent County Jail. He will be on the state sex offender list for the next 10 years.

Before taking the plea offered by the state Attorney General's Office, ___ was facing up to 20 years in prison. He was one of 21 people nabbed in an October child predator sting at a Grand Rapids Township home conducted by the AG's office, along with the national group Perverted Justice.

Many of those cases are making their way through the courtroom of Kent County Circuit Judge James Robert Redford, with most defendants taking a plea deal and only one so far going to a jury trial.

Redford said he looked through 40 pages of Internet chat logs between ___ and the woman decoy for the Internet sting, who claimed online to be a teen.

"The e-mail conversation, while disturbing at a basic level, is not as disturbing as some I've seen (from those arrested in this group)," Redford said.

"i wish i wasn't, but i care that you dont get hurt and i don't go to jail," ___24829 wrote, according to transcripts released by authorities. "i don't want to lose everything i have."

The faux 14-year-old expressed disappointment that ____ might back out and not want to "hook up."

"you know i do...i just have A LOT to lose, ya know," wrote ____24829.

"sowwwy," wrote angeldreemzzz, the decoy.

"my home, my job everything," ____24829 wrote.

Angeldreemzzz: "i jst wanna have fun."

____24829: "i know. me too."

Before he was sentenced on Monday, ____ choked out an apology as he fought back tears.

"I'm deeply sorry," he said.

____'s lawyer, Terry Tobias, said his client never intended to have sex and would not go to the "girl's" home, arranging to meet her elsewhere.

"They were just going to go to a football game and that's it," Tobias said.

Curt ____, the father of the defendant, said his son has never been in trouble with the law and was not looking for under-aged sex. He said his son wrote numerous times. "I can't do it."

For the father, there is no doubt what happened here.

"It's definitely entrapment," he said. ..News Source.. by Barton Deiters | The Grand Rapids Press

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MI- 'Net predator sting suspect convicted

4-1-2009 Michigan (Phase-I Sentencing):

He faces 20 years behind bar and/or $20K fine

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - One of 22 men caught in an Internet predator sting has been convicted.

It was October 2008 when the sting occurred at a home in Grand Rapids Township. The Michigan Attorney General's office and Kent County Sheriff's Department set up the sting.

Andrew Schutze, 32, of Buchanan was convicted Wednesday on child sexually abusive activity and communicating with another to child sexually abusive activity. Both are felonies with a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars and/or a $20,000 fine.

While all of the cases from the sting have made it to circuit court for trial, not all of them will actually go through a trial. As many as seven defendants have reached plea agreements with the Attorney General's office. ..News Source.. by WOOD TV 8

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MI- Byron Township man caught in online predator sting pleads guilty

4-1-2009 Michigan (Phase-I Sentencing):

GRAND RAPIDS -- A Byron Township man has pleaded guilty to using the Internet to commit child sexually abusive conduct.

Jason Ebels, 25, was in Kent County Circuit Court Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to the crime, which could bring at least 18 months behind bars.

Ebels was one of more than 20 men arrested in a sting targeting online predators, conducted by the state Attorney General's Office and the group Perverted Justice.

Ebels' lawyer, Craig Haehnel said his client has been diagnosed with leukemia and needs frequent treatments.

Haehnel is asking the court to cooperate with the defense so Ebels' treatment can continue uninterrupted. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 18.

Also convicted Tuesday from the same sting operation was Buchanan resident Andrew Schutze, charged of two counts of soliciting a minor for purposes of having sex, 20-year felonies. ..News Source.. by The Grand Rapids Press

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MI- Wyoming man sentenced to prison for Internet sex sting

1-29-2009 Michigan (Phase-I Sentencing):

GRAND RAPIDS -- A Wyoming man will serve between one and 20 years in prison after he was caught in an Internet child sexual predator sting at a Grand Rapids Township home last October.

_____, 45, was one of 21 men arrested during the operation staged by the state Attorney General and Kent County sheriff's offices. Investigators posed as teenagers in online chatrooms and agreed to meetings with the would-be predators, who allegedly were the ones to bring up sex and a possible rendezvous.

_____, who earlier said he delivered cookie dough to food service departments at schools, pleaded guilty to using a computer to commit a crime. A second charge of child sexually abusive activity was dismissed as part of a plea deal.

Kent County Circuit Judge George Buth ordered the prison term today (1-29-09). ..News Source.. by The Grand Rapids Press

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