
Elevated
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Significant Risk of Terrorist Attacks
June 27, 2006
POLK COUNTY, Fla. -- In a six-week long investigation, that ended in a weekend undercover operation, Polk Sheriff’s detectives, posing as children on the Internet, arrested 21 adults, most who traveled into the county and intended to have sex with children. The undercover operation lead by the Polk Sheriff’s Office, included detectives from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE. The multi-agency effort, directed by PCSO detectives, will enhance prosecution extending across several jurisdictions, and is an alliance that demonstrates law enforcement’s continuous commitment to fighting Internet crimes against children. In approximately 72 hours, online predators, stalking who they believed to be young girls and boys, arrived at an undercover location, walked into a house and were immediately handcuffed by deputies. We absolutely will not tolerate anyone preying on our children,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. "I want the community to know that we are doing all we can to protect our children. If you come to Polk County to attack our children, we will put you in jail." The majority of the suspects, often called "travelers" because they are willing to travel to their prey, typically use the Internet to groom children as young as eight years of age, into having sex. Internet Crimes Detectives used chat rooms and instant messaging to direct suspects to the location. In the words of one undercover detective, "You really don’t want to see what they type." National statistics indicate that one in five children receive an online sexual solicitation, one in 33 have received an aggressive online sexual solicitation and one in four have been exposed to unwanted sexual images online. The shocking fact is that only 10% of those solicitations were reported to authorities. Suspects had multiple charges which varied from Solicitation of Minor via Internet, Transmission of Material Harmful to Minors, to Attempted Lewd Battery. Detectives also seized three vehicles and one motorcycle.
Also arrested in conjunction with the weekend undercover operation was: Montgomery, Mathew E. DOB 9-13-86, white male 6814 Hesperides Street, Tampa |
-- ICE -- |