Wacky Internet Predator Wednesday, Vol. 14
Three more predators were rounded up last week in sting ops. AND, one guy who successfully got two stupid teenage girls (that he met on MySpace) to meet in real life. He drugged them and raped one.
Once again, parents, just because your child isn’t a victim, does not mean there aren’t people out there trying to make them one. And how do you know your kid isn’t a victim? One of these sickos was a science teacher!
And one of the guys was very successful in his mission, thanks to the utter stupidity of teenage girls. How do you know your 15-year-old girl isn’t doing the same thing? Do you know…?
Well guess what – if you had PC Pandora, you WOULD know! Monitoring software like our PC Pandora records everything your child does on the computer so you can review it and KNOW for sure. Why play games and take chances with your child’s life and safety…? What is the point of NOT knowing for sure?
Seriously folks… It’s hard to have pity on the victims here when they are a) that stupid and b) the parents don’t seem to care enough to know that their child is doing online…
Anyway, here is a quick overview of the perps caught and the full stories are pasted below (as usual):
- A 49-year-old registered sex offender and a partner in Fresno CA were able to lure two girls (15 and 16-years-old) that they met on MySpace to a meeting, where they took them back to their trailer home and drugged and raped the 15 year old.
- A 53-year-old Mesa AZ man was arrested for attempting to solicit sex with a person he believed to be a juvenile online.
- A 34-year-old science teacher from Pittsburgh was arrested for trying to solicit sex and sending pornographic material to what he thought was a 14-year-old girl in a teenage chatroom.
- A 36-year-old Pittsburgh-area man was arrested was arrested for trying to solicit sex and sending pornographic material to what he thought was a 13-year-old girl in a teenage chatroom.
Fresno, CA (KFSN) — Investigators say a Del Rey man and a partner used an internet chat room to lure two girls back to a trailer. 49-year old Richard Bustamonte was in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to 2 counts of sexual assault of a juvenile.
He’s already a registered sex offender and deputies warn this crime should be a reminder to parents to always monitor your kid’s online activity.
Early Saturday morning two girls ages 15 and 16 ran from a trailer home off of American Ave. near Del Rey and ended up at a nearby intersection. They told deputies they were running from Richard Bustamonte a man they met in an online chat room.
“This is your typical horror story about young girls on a chat room, meeting people they talk to on a chat room and then being a victim of a crime,” said Deputy Chris Curtice.
Curtice says Bustamonte, a registered sex offender and another man, picked up these girls in Kingsburg and brought them back to his Del Rey home where he drugged and raped the 15 year old. But when deputies arrived at Bustamonte’s home he was the only one there.
“How they (Bustamonte’s accomplice) left is a little unclear right now but Mr. Bustamonte was the only one arrested in this sexual assault,” said Curtice.
No more than 200 yards from Bustamonte’s home live the Komoto’s. They have two granddaughters living with them ages 15 and 5-years old. Diane Komoto said she’s seen Bustamonte helping his father in the fields before but said she never had a clue he was a registered sex offender.
“It really makes you think, start looking around because you don’t know what else is out there that you’re not aware of just like we weren’t aware of that,” said Komoto.
Deputies could not comment on whether or not a computer was found inside Bustamonte’s home. He’s expected back in court by the end of July.
Tempe PD: Man arrested for soliciting sex with children
By Brent Roulier, KNXV-TV/ ABC 15
Tempe police arrested a 53-year-old Mesa man Thursday for allegedly attempting to solicit sex with children online.
At about noon, police arrested Joseph Badaracco in the area of Rural and Guadalupe roads.
The arrest marked the first arrest for the Tempe Police Department’s new Internet Crimes against Children Unit (ICAC).
Investigators said Badaracco engaged in several online chats with a person he believed to be a juvenile.
Police said he solicited sex acts and eventually planned an in-person meeting in Tempe.
Badaracco arrived at the pre-arranged meeting place and was taken into custody without incident.
Shortly after the suspect’s arrest, police searched his Mesa home where officers obtained items believed to be related to the investigation.
Badaracco was charged with 5 counts of luring a minor for sexual exploitation, a class three felony.
Tempe Media Relations Sgt. Steve Carbajal said it’s important that parents monitor their children’s Internet activities to prevent them from becoming victims of online predators.
Houtzdale Man Arrested in Internet Child Predator Bust
HARRISBURG — Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that agents from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit have arrested two men, including a high school science teacher from the Pittsburgh area along with a factory worker from Clearfield County, both accused of using the Internet to send sexually explicit photos and videos to what they believed were young girls. The “girls” were actually undercover agents from the Child Predator Unit who were using the online profiles of children.
Corbett identified the defendants as Nicholas E. Salvo, 34, 60 of Pittsburgh and Robert C. Dunlap, 36, of Houtzdale.
Corbett said that Salvo and Dunlap are both accused of Internet chat rooms to sexually solicit what they believed were 13 or 14-year old girls. Both men also allegedly sent nude or sexually graphic photos and webcam videos to the girls.
“Internet predators are aggressively using chat room and teen networking sites to search for young victims online, quickly escalating conversations to include discussions about sex and the transmission of nude photos and webcam videos,” Corbett said. “It is essential for parents to understand that many predators will send sexually graphic materials within minutes of contacting a child, and continue to repeat that behavior until they are caught.”
Nicholas E. Salvo
Corbett said that Salvo, using the screen name “1 thick daddy,” allegedly used a teen chat room to contact an undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit who was using the online profile of a 14-year old girl. Within minutes of that initial contact, on July 3, Salvo allegedly sent a private message to the girl, asking what her measurements were and telling her, “I like younger girls.”
According to the criminal complaint, Salvo told the girl that he was watching online pornography and then sent her a webcam video that showed his exposed penis. During other chats that followed, Salvo made reference to the nude video, asking the girl, “did you enjoy the other night,” and telling her, “you got to see a big one, too.” Slavo also allegedly sent additional webcam video showing him masturbating in front of his computer.
Additionally, Corbett said that Salvo allegedly posted a message on a public teen chat forum asking, “Are there any hot girls here for a sexy, older man,” and expressing a desire to send nude webcam videos to any girls that responded.
Salvo was arrested at his home on Thursday, July 21, by agents from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit, assisted by Mt. Lebanon Police. Agents also executed a search warrant at Salvo’s home, seizing a computer and data storage devices which will be analyzed by the Attorney General’s Computer Forensics Unit as part of an ongoing investigation.
Salvo is charged with two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, one count of attempted unlawful contact with a minor and two counts of criminal use of a computer, all third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.
Salvo was preliminarily arraigned in Allegheny County Night Court. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
Salvo will be prosecuted in Allegheny County by Deputy Attorney General William F. Caye II of the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit.
Corbett thanked the Mt. Lebanon Police Department for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.
Robert C. Dunlap
Corbett said that Dunlap, using the screen name “rcdunlap1971,” allegedly used an Internet chat room to approach an undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit who was using the online profile of a 13-year old girl. During that initial conversation, Dunlap allegedly asked the girl her age, requested photos of the girl, and then proceeded to send a nude webcam video.
According to the criminal complaint, while sending the nude webcam video Dunlap asked the girl, “would you touch it,” and expressed a desire to engage in other sexual activity with the child.
Dunlap was arrested at his home on Thursday, August 21, by agents from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit, assisted by Pennsylvania State Police from the Clearfield Barracks. Agents also executed a search warrant at Dunlap’s home, seizing two computers and a webcam, which will be analyzed by the Attorney General’s Computer Forensics Unit as part of an ongoing investigation.
Dunlap is charged with one count of unlawful contact with a minor and one count of criminal use of a computer, both third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.
Dunlap was preliminarily arraigned before Houtzdale Magisterial District Judge James L. Hawkins and lodged in the Clearfield County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 27 at 9:30 a.m.
Dunlap will be prosecuted in Clearfield County by Deputy Attorney General Michael A. Sprow of the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit.
Corbett thanked the Pennsylvania State Police, Clearfield Barracks, for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.
Summer Internet Dangers
Corbett said has been a notable increase in activity by online predators during the summer months – cautioning parents and children to be alert for adults who sexually proposition them or attempt to arrange meetings. Since the start of June, the Child Predator Unit has arrested 13 Internet predators from across Pennsylvania.
Since the creation of the Child Predator Unit in January 2005, Corbett said that agents have arrested 157 Internet predators from Pennsylvania and several other states, including 41 arrests since the beginning of this year.
“Predators will always be drawn to locations that give them the greatest access to the largest number of potential victims,” Corbett said. “Today, they stalk a variety of online sites, including chat rooms; social networking websites like MySpace and Facebook; Internet message boards; video game sites; and even online classified ads on Craigslist.com.”
Corbett noted that the techniques used by Internet predators change rapidly, spurred by developments in communication technology and changes in where and how children communicate online. He added that predators will communicate with children in many different ways, using public or private online chat rooms, instant message programs, text messages, email, cell phones and webcams.
At the start of the summer Corbett was joined by representatives from the Pennsylvania Parent Teacher Association, the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and the Pennsylvania Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals, to launch “Operation Summer Surf” – reminding parents and teens across Pennsylvania to regularly discuss online safety and remain vigilant.
Operation Summer Surf is an expansion of the Attorney General’s popular “Operation Safe Surf” Internet safety education program, which was created in October 2006 and has now reached nearly 160,000 children and adults from across the state.
Corbett encouraged parents to discuss Internet safety with their children, including the danger of meeting strangers who approach them online. He also advised that parents ask their children to show them what they are doing online, setting ground rules for summer online communication to help kids use the Internet safely and in a responsible manner.
Operation Safe Surf and Operation Summer Surf materials are provided free-of-charge to schools and community groups. Organizations interested in materials, speakers or presentations, contact the Attorney General’s Education and Outreach Office at 1-800-525-7642 or via email at education@attorneygeneral.gov.
Suspected internet predators can be reported to the Attorney General’s Office by calling the toll-free Child Predator Hotline, at 1-800-385-1044, or filing an online complaint using the Attorney General’s Web site (Click on the “Report an Internet Predator” link, located on the front page of the Web site)
Internet safety tips and other information for parents, children and teachers are available in the “Operation Safe Surf” and “Just for Kids” sections of the Attorney General’s Web site. (Click on the “Kids, Parents & Schools” link at the top of the front page)
