Tucson Making Internet S.A.F.E. for Kids
There’s a cool story in the Tucson Citizen about the efforts of the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement team (S.A.F.E.). The team was formed in August 1999 and is responsible for 82 arrests, 82 indictments, 66 convictions and 142 search warrants issued through August 2006 (the first 7 years).
The team consists of Tucson police Detective Jim Beede, and five FBI agents who work with the Pima County Attorney’s Office, the Pima County Adult Probation Department, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
It’s a collaborative effort that is absolutely paying off!
The article focuses heavily on former local pizza king, Peter Picurro, who was one of those indicted. He was arrested Aug. 21, 2005, on three counts of luring a minor (an undercover cop he thought was a 14-year-old girl) for sexual exploitation and six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, the latter stemming from alleged child pornography found on his computer.
In an agreement with prosecutors, Picurro pleaded guilty to three charges on March 29. This week, he was sentenced to 2½ years in prison for two charges of luring a minor for sexual exploitation. He also was sentenced to lifetime probation as a sex offender on the third charge, sexual exploitation of a minor under 15.
Check out the article and raise a toast to the Tucson S.A.F.E. team.
Also note that PC Pandora donated $100,000 worth of software to the Tucson Unified School District, and even accepted an award of the generosity. One of our senior staffers is a Tucson native!
