Cyber Dangers, Kids@Risk --- 6 Part Series
Cyber Dangers: Prowling for prey online Rose Quinn, Of the Times Staff 03/27/2006 First in a six-part series The naked old man in your 13-year-old daughter's bedroom wasn't exactly uninvited. Neither was the bully in the school gym, nor the harassing text-messenger at the coffee shop. The same holds true for scammers, hackers, identity thieves and other cyber sneaks who slip into lives everywhere by way of the Internet or any wireless device, authorities warn. Now a staple in most households, computers have opened doors in ways that have made life easier than ever - for the good guys as well as the bad. But anything with an Internet Protocol (I.P.) address, - including cell phones that are text and digital-image capable, iPods and even video games like Xbox - can be used to transmit information, wanted or otherwise, according to Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green. "We are seeing the use of digital devices in just about every area of crime," Green said last week. "The building block of every investigation is obtaining that I.P. address," Green said. Anonymous appeal Computer-crime investigations by authorities at the federal, state and local levels have made steady headlines. And the job of protecting the consumer, kids and teens in particular, is as huge as the Web. "Technology has created the ability for kids to be communicating in all kinds of environments," U.S. Attorney Patrick L. Meehan said. "The Internet has no boundaries. "It creates an absolute world of anonymity," Meehan continued. "Anybody can be anybody else on the Internet." Meehan, the father of three computer-savvy pre-teens, remembers his college days in the 1970s when computers were a remote concept. He was working at a law firm in the mid-'80s when he saw an online address for the first time. Someone included it on a resume. "We've come light years since then," agreed Meehan, who was district attorney when the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began six years ago, one of the first of its kind in the country. Today, at the federal level, he continues to work with both Green and county Detective Lt. David C. Peifer, head of the task force, under a similar but broadening mission. Meehan is also teaming with educators to get the safety message out. Currently, he is working with a local school district to pilot a program that would allow parents to access online safety information at their own convenience. Think TiVo. Children today have grown up with all the devices, Meehan said. His three children can take a computer apart and put it back together. "Certainly, the Internet has been a fabulous addition," said Meehan, who's a big fan of the search engine Google. "The day doesn't go by that most people don't Google ... whether it's for a recipe or a sports score," he said. Just as more and more people have come to rely on the computer, more and more people are finding ways to exploit it, Meehan said. "We see the victims," Meehan said. "Anything that stores crunched digital data, we're seeing it being used" in crime circles, agreed Green. His office is using similar technology to aid investigations in areas from fraud to drugs to child abuse. Global Impact With new technology constantly emerging, Green admitted, law enforcement's job gets more and more difficult. It's a tremendous help that manufacturers like Microsoft Corp. will alert authorities to critical gaps in new systems when they surface, he said. Young or old, theft of personal information is among the many online risks. Green said detectives in the new Senior Exploitation Unit are seeing incidents of "Phishing." That's when a fraudulent Web site is established to obtain someone's personal data. In the ongoing drug battle, members of the county's Narcotics Enforcement Unit are adding all digital devices to every search-warrant application, computers and cell phones in particular, according to Green. "Text can be preserved," he said - not to mention phone numbers. In one case, investigators found a wireless hard drive to a suspect's computer buried in an attic. According to Peifer, wireless systems are another hot topic. Those setting up wireless computers need to know that people are out there just looking for open access. As for online child predators and child pornography peddlers, Green said they are the most prevalent among computer criminals. Since its inception six years ago, the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has investigated more than 2,000 cases of child sexual abuse. In the United States alone, more than 30 million children between the ages of 10 and 17 use the Internet, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Of those, an alarming 70 percent had received sexual solicitation on a computer at home, said Meehan. They're on the prowl in America Online and Yahoo chat rooms 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Green said of the online predators. Perhaps most frightening is they are using information from personal blogs like Myspace.com and Xanga.com to track down their victims in a matter of minutes. Blogs also have been used for bullying, stalking and harassment. One 11-year-old Delaware County girl recently told her mother she shut down her page on Myspace.com because of all the negative publicity. "It was bad," the girl said she simply decided. The global ramifications of online child sexual abuse really hit home for Peifer when he attended a five-day conference on child-pornography victim identification in France last year. Forty-nine countries were represented. Working to identify victims, and keeping kids safe overall, is always the main goal, Peifer said. Safe postings Education is the best and sometimes the only defense against computer crime, according to Meehan. And blogging can be a positive way for kids to communicate and socialize, as long as users do not post personal information. Two weeks ago, Meehan shared the floor at Strath Haven Middle School with Green and Peifer. They were there to talk about potential problems with kids and teens on the Internet and to offer solutions. Wallingford-Swarthmore School District Superintendent Sharon Parker was eager to provide the forum. She only wishes that more people, namely parents, took advantage in light of all the recent hype about computer hotspots. Parker marvels at the students, from the first- and second-graders' multi-media knowledge to the middle-school students and their Power Point presentations. More recently, she's also been shocked at some of the sites she's seen students on, including MySpace.com. From the provocative photographs to personal information, she was genuinely concerned. Whether students knew what they were doing or not, Parker said she didn't realize just how easy it is for pedophiles to use that same information to find their next victim. Peifer and the task force unit's two detectives, Michele Deery and Lisa Carroll, often show parents in a matter of clicks how a predator can take what seems like innocuous information from a child's blog and trace their whereabouts. "If they can be found," Parker said of the kids, "every one of us can be found, if we are not prudent." Peifer said parents in Delaware County are wrong if they think their kids are too smart, or immune. He mentioned a story about one 13-year-old girl whose father became concerned when she began spending more and more time on the computer. Peifer suggested he install a program that enabled him to capture all of his daughter's chat-room visits. When the father did, he found a screen name for a 46-year-old man from New England. "I want to meet you again," Peifer said the man wrote in one exchange with the girl. Of course that meant they had already met, at least once. Later, the girl admitted meeting the man in New Jersey and felt trapped because the man threatened to tell her parents about it. Said Peifer: "These kids just have to understand there are predators out there." http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16381817&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=577630&rfi=6

Cyber Dangers2: Task force tackles online crime Rose Quinn, Of the Times Staff 03/27/2006 Second of six-part series For Detective Michele Deery, battling child sexual predators online is a full-time job. That means days, nights and weekends. Whatever her shift with the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the bad guys don't go away when she leaves her computer screen. Or, judging by the volume of her work, even take a break. For that reason, Deery makes it a point every day to try and learn something new on the computer - to keep as many steps ahead as she can. "It's constantly changing," Deery, 32, said of the technology. Unfortunately, she added, the laws don't change as quickly. You'll never catch Deery or part-time task force Detective Lisa Carroll, 33, saying they've seen it all. Generally, Deery poses as a mother with young girls - attracting those with the apparently common "mother-daughter" fetish. Carroll poses as the typical teenager, bouncing from one chat to the next. Together, they're targeting what's known as the travelers, men who befriend their victims in chat rooms until they can arrange a meeting, regardless of distance. One man, Robert Courts, a small-time actor whose movie credits include "No Way Out" and "Concorde: Airport '79," flew from southern California to have sex with a 12-year-old girl. "I believe he came here with the design to meet with several children," Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green said at the time of Courts' arrest by the task force in 2003. Courts is serving two to five years in jail. Besides Courts, those busted by the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force include a Boy Scout leader, a New Jersey government official, a Catholic grade-school teacher and a newspaper reporter. And the list doesn't end there. A Delaware County deputy sheriff, a couple of engineers, military personnel, a few Little League and high school coaches, some college students and one man who is HIV-positive also have been busted by the task force. At any given time, Deery and Carroll could have as many as 50 potential investigations, or online conversations, open. "The second you think you've seen the worst, the strangest fetish, there is always something worse," said Deery. "Every day," added Carroll, " is something different." The elite The Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is just one of 46 elite units in the United States and the only one of its kind in Pennsylvania. At the investigative helm in Delaware County is Detective Lt. David C. Peifer, a former county narcotics and homicide detective who has been with the unit since it began in December 1999. The task force comes under the office of District Attorney G. Michael Green and frequently teams with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The unit is a component of Operation Triad, a collaboration of federal agencies and the Criminal Investigation Division aimed at keeping kids safe, via the Internet or computers overall, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Because the task force is the only one in the state, Peifer said the district attorney's office has agreements with 18 other D.A.s in the commonwealth, including Allegheny and Lehigh counties. Worldwide, child abuse claims more than 1 million victims every year, according to statistics distributed by the task force. Many local tips are obtained through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, often generated through Internet service providers like Yahoo, America Online and MSN. Peifer said the providers report incidents directly to the center, which is located in Alexandria, Va. Cybertip information is forwarded to individual investigative departments once the Internet Protocol address, a unique series of numbers, is determined. "Talk about no boundaries," Peifer said of online predators and pornography peddlers. "It's happening right here and it's happening more often than anyone would think." In many ways, Peifer says his is a constant on-the-job-training scenario. When he started, he not only had to learn about technology and how it was being used to exploit children, but also how to create and implement workable policies. For that, he looked to task forces that were already in place in 10 other states like New Hampshire, Texas, Virginia and Florida. Peifer said it took only a few weeks to establish the unit and not much longer before it had its first bust. Robert Boyer, who was arrested in April 2000 and charged with unlawful communication with a minor, was found dead at a Ramada Inn the very day he was to go on trial. The death was investigated as a suicide, according to the task force. Deery, a self-admitted gadget geek who also started with the unit soon after its inception, but as an agent with the state Attorney General's Office, said daily challenges have certainly changed over the years. She cited volume at the top of her list. "Not everyone was online when we first started," she said. "I wouldn't be able to name a kid today that's not." Because of their natural curiosity, children are ideal victims, according to Peifer. They're also easily led by adults and need adult attention and affection. Peifer said many of the children who've been involved with the task force for one reason or another "don't have much going on in their lives." But that doesn't mean the "prettiest" or the "most popular" isn't an equally prime target for a would-be molester who can take easy and anonymous advantage. Some statistics More than 30 million kids between the ages of 10 and 17 are using the Internet. Of those: n One in 4 has had unwanted exposure to sexually explicit photos; n One in 17 was threatened or harassed; and n One in 33 has received an aggressive sexual solicitation, which might include a gift. Authorities said 70 percent of those solicitations have occurred at home. According to the task force Web site, online child sexual exploitation involves three primary activities: n Online arrangements for the exchange, sale or purchase of child pornography. The actual exchange or delivery occurs through the mail or in hand-to-hand exchanges, e-mail, FTP or other electronic means. n Arrangement between adults seeking sexual access to children, and adults willing to provide and or trade children for sexual purposes. n Adults seeking sexual contact with children by establishing "friendships" with children online. Having "befriended" a child online, the pedophile then attempts to arrange a face-to-face meeting and ultimately, the sexual exploitation of the child. Looking ahead Peifer said it's important to keep up on changing technology and strategy. Just last week, he was at a conference for task force supervisors at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children headquarters. In August, he'll be at a national convention in Texas. He said about 2,500 people are expected to attend, and among the issues on the agenda will be sharing images of children in hopes of identifying pornography victims, either by face or other investigative clues. Identifying the children, he said, is always top priority. He said the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has many success stories. Often times, the identification of a child has resulted in a molestation conviction. Peifer said investigators now are seeing live-streaming video of children as young as 8 months being actively abused sexually. "They're just horrific," said Peifer. Mostly, he's seeing images being produced in video form and being shared around the Internet. Those kids, he said, are 4, 5 and 6 years old. In addition to investigations, Peifer said members of his unit are beginning to spend more and more time educating students and others throughout the community. "Educating the youth can go a long way in helping us do our job," Peifer said. But there are other ways to help, too. He said task forces throughout the country want a law in place that would require mandatory Internet Protocol address retention for 180 days. Some Internet Protocol addresses are only being held for three days. People are setting up addresses and closing them down before they have time to even get a tip that a child has been exploited, according to Peifer. He said administrative subpoenas, as federal authorities have now, would alleviate a lot of wasted time. Peifer said the unit now has to write an eight-page affidavit every time it needs subscriber information from an Internet Service Provider. Bottom line, Peifer said, is saving kids. Many times, Deery and Carroll will find themselves yelling at computer screens because the case they are working is so offensive. Sometimes, they just have to walk away. But because of the kids, they always come back. Top 10 Ways to Talk to Your Kids 1. Start now. It is never too late or early to begin. 2. Make the effort. It is not up to your kid to talk to you. 3. Be open-minded. They must feel comfortable talking to you about everything. 4. Let them know where you stand. Your actions and beliefs set the tone for them. 5. Listen. Conversation does not mean only you talk. 6. Tell the truth. You want it from them. 7. Have patience. Enough said. 8. Don't set a specific time to talk. Just do it. 9. Use ordinary situations to make conversation. Any time is a good time. 10. Talk every day. It becomes easier the more you do it. *This list was published on the StaySafe Web site at: www.StaySafe.org. WHO ARE THEY: Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green Deputy District Attorney Sheldon Kovach, grant administrator Deputy District Attorney Michael Galantino, team prosecutor Lt. David C. Peifer Full-time Detective Michele Deery Part-time Detective Lisa Carroll Detective Mark Bucci, computer forensics expert Brian Hunt, analyst Kathleen DeRosa, administrative assistant Budget: About $300,000 annually, a grant through the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16381718&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=577630&rfi=6

Cyber Dangers 3: Parents must be wary of predators Rose Quinn, Of the Times Staff 03/28/2006 Third of a six-part series. Keeping kids safe online is as crucial as teaching them to look both ways before crossing a street. And the old spiel about them never talking to strangers? Revamp it. Detective Lt. David C. Peifer, head of the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, calls it high-tech parenting. "It's just as easy for someone in California or Colorado to be talking to a child in Delaware County," said Peifer. And those conversations can turn dangerous, even deadly. Parents who see the characters POS, NP, P911 or PAL or PANB on a child's computer screen might want to take a closer look. Short for "parent over shoulder," "nosy parents," "my parents are coming," "parents are listening," and "parents are nearby," they are just a few of the dozens of chat abbreviations kids are using while online. While most of them are innocuous, there are a few others that might warrant some attention. Take NIFOC for instance, it means "naked in front of computer." And IPN is shorthand for "I'm posting naked." Face it, today's kids are cyber-smart. Especially the 30 million or so who are looking to the Internet and the Worldwide Web for any number of reasons. And if they want to keep up, academically and socially, they pretty much have to be. Whether kids are online newcomers or veterans, authorities encourage parents to step up as guides to ensure their Internet safety. That might require some education on the parents' part, perhaps taking a beginner's computer course. "Unfortunately, the same advances in computer and telecommunication technology that allow our children to reach out to new sources of knowledge and cultural experiences are also leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and harm by computer-sex offenders," warns the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its "A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety." There is monitoring software available that allows parents to see the chat rooms their children visit. There is also software that filters Web sites that parents deem inappropriate. Authorities recommend parents research all available software to find what best suits their family needs. Peifer said many safety tips are common sense. First and foremost, kids should never post personal information online. Many online pedophiles are using it to track victims. There are signs parents should look for, beginning with the amount of time their child spends online. Authorities said most children who fall prey to computer-sex offenders spend large amounts of time online, primarily in chat rooms. Authorities said predators use their victim's interests and begin mirroring them as their online contact continues. "Children online are at the greatest risk during the evening hours," according to the federal guide. "While offenders are online around-the-clock, most work during the day and spend their evenings online, trying to locate and lure children, or seeking pornography." Other red flags include phone calls to children from unfamiliar men, or gifts or other mail from someone their parents do not know. Kids who become withdrawn, or who turn the computer monitor off or change the screen when parents walk into the room, are still other possible signs of trouble brewing online. While parents certainly should monitor their kids, those who forbid them from going online or threaten to take away the computer when something bad happens are just asking for trouble, U.S. Attorney Patrick L. Meehan said recently at an education forum in Nether Providence. Meehan is the first to admit that talking to teenagers about their online activities - including what is and is not acceptable behavior - won't be the easiest task for many parents. That's especially true when kids are way ahead of their parents on the technology curve. "Children are communicating in environments in which they feel safe," Meehan said. But what parents need to know is that the average age of a child's first exposure to graphic pornography on the Internet is now 11 years old. Predators are targeting teen girls 13 to 15 - "just when they are trying to figure out where they fit into the world," Meehan said. According to Meehan, many victims have sent pictures of themselves to a predator. Peifer recalled a 12-year-old girl who got a Web cam for Christmas and almost immediately began sending naked pictures of herself to a man in Texas. Half of all those who are exposed will never tell anyone, he said. And more than half of the predators, he said, are 20 years older - or more - than the victim. "This isn't someone grabbing them from behind a tree and throwing them down a dark alley," Meehan said. "It is not a forcible crime." Many times, victims have poor relationships with their parents, or have a high degree of conflict in their life. They might also be depressed or have low self-esteem. "Parents need to be open and accessible to kids," Meehan said. "Don't pull the plug. Your sons and daughters are going to use these devices. We need to train them to use them properly." Many organizations offer informational resources online, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Meehan uses this analogy: A parent would never let a man in the front door and allow him to walk through their house to their child's bedroom, bringing a gift. "When you have the Internet, you open the same door," he said. When a student at a Catholic elementary school in western Delaware County received inappropriate and secretly coded online messages from her English teacher last summer, she told her parents, who in turn contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. As is the standard, the center forwarded the information to the appropriate jurisdiction, Delaware County's task force. It is one of 46 units in the country and the only one in Pennsylvania. "That student did everything right," said Peifer. Once contact was made with authorities, county task force Detective Michele Deery began to pose as the targeted student, and continued correspondence with the suspect. Michael Nace is no longer teaching. Last month, Nace, 29, of Park Lane in the Glen Mills section of Concord, pleaded guilty to solicitation to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and unlawful contact with a minor, both first-degree felonies. As such, he will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law for at least 10 years - and for life if he is deemed a violent sexual predator. Nace's wife was expecting a baby at the time of his arrest. Should any compromising situations occur, preserving evidence is crucial, Peifer said. He also recommended reporting incidents to local law enforcement, school authorities and Internet service providers. Responding to harassing, off-color or offensive messages, is never a good idea, he said. http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16387193&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=577630&rfi=6

Cyber Dangers4: Exposing Net predators the mission of Delco task force Rose Quinn, Of the Times Staff 03/29/2006 Creeps. It’s one way to describe the adult men "grooming" the person they thought was a 13-year-old girl for a sexual tryst in an online chat room two weeks ago. Foremost, they all wanted to know if the girl was a virgin. Some wanted to know her bra size, what she was wearing at that moment and if she was mature enough to have hair "down there." It spirals downward from there, with the conversation -- and the video -- getting even raunchier. One very senior man in flannel was more than happy to use the Web Cam to show off his "manhood," and seemed to get a little miffed when the teen didn’t make a big enough fuss. Another man was ready to take off work the next day and meet the teen at a local mall, away from the watchful eye of the girl’s mother. He never showed. Welcome to command central of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a two-desk office dubbed the "Ewwww Room" by detectives Michele Deery and Lisa Carroll for reasons too disgusting to publish. "For a lot of these guys," said Deery, "it used to be the kids’ underwear page in J.C. Penney’s catalogue." Nowadays, judging from the names of some very crowded chat rooms, almost anything goes. And there are specific chat rooms for men looking for young girls, but to name them might tip off potential suspects. "We could sit here 24 hours a day," said Carroll. Deery said there are fetish sites where people who’ve portrayed characters in amusement parks talk about their sexual interests in kids. "Homes aren’t safe, schools aren’t safe, not even Disney World is safe," she said. Generally, Deery poses as a mother of young girls. She has different screen names and different daughters, between the ages of 7 and 13. Men have sent her videos of things they’d like to do. Carroll poses as a teenager, usually 13. For Carroll, the job with the task force is part time. A full-time police officer in a neighboring town for 10 years, she tracks predators on her days off, and always tries to mix the times that she’s online so she doesn’t establish any pattern. There are days when she sets her alarm for 3 a.m. On this particular day, it’s late afternoon when she signs into both Yahoo Pennsylvania and AOL-member-created chat rooms. Within minutes, she has several people contacting her. Again, identifying any of the screen names could compromise potential criminal investigations. Usually, she will go into a chat and just follow people around. "We are always talking to somebody," Carroll said. When asked if she feels that she’s setting a trap, she said, "Look, they’re contacting me." And with the anonymity, there’s no telling who is on the other end. When they describe themselves, "Everybody is always 6-feet tall and athletic," she laughed. One man had a collection of nude shots. Some of his photos were ridiculous to the point of hilarity -- until one remembers he thinks he’s sending them to a 13-year-old girl. Another man told Carroll she was too young, only to resume the conversation later on. Carroll’s up on the chat-room lingo. "I am so used to talking like a 13-year-old, I sometimes have a problem with adult conversations." A common technique used by predators is known as "grooming." They use a victim’s personal information to gain trust and build friendships -- mirror their interests -- until a live encounter can be arranged. Carroll can almost always see it coming. "r u alone now?" asks one of the men, via instant messaging. "What do you look like?" As she types the same answer out for the umpteenth time, she wonders why she doesn’t just cut and paste. Out loud, she begins to guess one question after the next. She is right on the money on almost all of them. As she types, she mentions how some predators will send gifts. She once got a pair of the ugliest blue shoes, she said. Carroll said she is always sure to insert her age -- 13 -- numerous times throughout the exchanges. Across the room, Deery’s making her own contacts. Among them is a psychologist from a neighboring state who wants to have sex with Deery and her daughter. That chat ended abruptly. The shrink’s wife came home. Deery worked as a police officer in Texas for four years before taking a job with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office. She was an A.G. agent when she first teamed with the task force shortly after its inception in December 1999. She became a county detective in January 2005. "Since I was (a) little (girl), I knew I wanted to work with kids," she said. Both detectives can have multiple conversations going at one time. Their boss, Detective Lt. David C. Peifer, jokes about them having multiple personalities because they are so good at tracking all the conversations. There are a few slips, though, the women admit. On a serious note, Peifer said that in their line of business, maintaining employee wellness is a priority. And knowing they are always working for the good of the kids is a good motivator, he said. But sometimes, Peifer, Deery and Carroll all admit, it’s rough. That’s when Deery and Carroll just turn off the computer and walk away. They might even find themselves shopping for designer shoes and purses -- an admitted favorite pastime. Carroll, who spent her first wedding anniversary last July working a bust, said things will undoubtedly get harder for her when she has kids of her own. Deery said all she has to do is think about her young nieces and nephew for a quick reality check. They always help put her job into perspective. But there are just some things Deery will never understand, like the video of a 6-month-old baby girl being used as a partner for sexual intercourse with an adult male. Those videos, she said, never go on to show the physical damage done to the child. Identifying victims of child pornography is an ongoing objective of every member of the county’s task force, as well as all similar task forces throughout the country. "I’ve seen videos that have scarred my corneas," Deery said. "When I first started, I had a real hard time with the kids’ eyes," she said. "It is so profoundly sad. Their eyes are just dead. There is no innocence to them." If she can help it, Deery avoids the eyes. http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16393607&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=577630&rfi=6

Cyber Dangers 5: A sexual offender might be your next-door neighbor, but how would you know? Rose Quinn, Of the Times Staff 03/30/2006 An open house in Delaware County apparently caught a shopper’s eye, until the shopper found out that a convicted pedophile lived on the block. Outraged, the shopper shot off an anonymous letter to the Daily Times. "Should I have been told, beings I have children?" the writer, dubbed "Looking Elsewhere," asked. "How do I go about checking into this?" Community notification, which is overseen by the Pennsylvania State Police, is made only after someone is declared a sexually violent predator. Those deemed violent are required to register with police for life and are listed on the Megan’s Law Web site. Others on that list are categorized as sexual offenders and are required to register for 10 years. There are seven sexually violent predators in Delaware County, with an eighth waiting to be determined, according to Delaware County Deputy District Attorney Michael Galantino. Megan’s Law is named for sweet-faced Megan Kanka, a 7-year-old New Jersey girl who was raped and killed in 1994. Her attacker was a twice-convicted sex offender who lived near her home. According to the Megan’s Law Web site, Delaware County is home to a total of 355 registered sexual offenders. The full list is available for review at www.pa.meganslaw.state.pa.us. When the registry was unveiled on Jan. 24, 2005, the names, photos and ZIP codes of 237 convicted sex offenders were posted. Sexually violent predators are those who are convicted of a sexually violent offense, who suffer from a mental abnormality or personality disorder that predisposes them to commit predatory sexual offenses, Galantino said. Galantino said the determination process is twofold. An investigator for the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board will collect all documents pertaining to a case, from police reports to evaluations to victim/witness statements, and also make an attempt to speak with the defendant. All collected information is turned over to a member of the state assessment board for review. That person is a psychiatrist, psychologist or other trained expert in the mental-health field. That review can take 90 days. In a situation where a person is determined by a board member to be a violent predator, the district attorney’s office will request a hearing before a Common Pleas Court judge. The judge has the final word on whether or not the label applies, Galantino said. "I do it routinely," Galantino said of hearing requests. The assessment board handles all sex cases, determining whether there is cause to be listed as either a sexual offender or a sexually violent predator. Steven Sherlock was the first defendant in Delaware County to be sentenced as a sexually violent predator in April 2004 after the new law was found to be constitutional. Megan’s Law was first established in 1996 in Pennsylvania. It was revised several years later, and in 2001, challenges arose regarding its constitutionality. The state Supreme Court upheld the law, allowing evaluations to continue by the state assessment board. Galantino received notice last week from the assessment board that Felix Shawn Haynes of Philadelphia was deemed a sexually violent predator. He was in the process of filing a hearing. As a result, Haynes’ sentencing this week for raping a 62-year-old Upper Darby woman was delayed until April 26. Haynes, 34, was serving a seven- to 10-year sentence in South Carolina for second-degree burglary when a DNA sample taken in 2005 matched him to the 2003 rape, which was considered a cold case. The woman was returning from the bathroom when she saw a figure standing next to her bed. She was raped numerous times before being tied up with a phone cord. Her attacker then demanded money and took $100 from her wallet. Another violent sexual predator on the Delaware County list is 54-year-old Bruce Deutsch, whose last known address was State Road in Upper Darby. He was living in Lansdowne at the time of his offense last year. Deutsch was convicted of sexual child abuse and is due for parole again. He was released from prison on Feb. 17 and arrested again on March 6 because he was in violation of conditions of his release, according to Galantino. Those cases are tracked through the county’s Office of Probation and Parole. When Deutsch was released, the required and approved "Parole Plan" stated he would be living at the Raven Motel in Media. Galantino said when parole agents saw him in March, he was sitting outside a tent on a hill along the Blue Route in Nether Providence Township. Deutsch’s case was back on the court docket Tuesday. Galantino said Deutsch will remain in the county prison until he finds a place to live that is in compliance with the conditions of his parole. The conditions include not living near a school or any place where children congregate, or a place where children reside in the home. When all criteria is met and approved by the county’s Department of Probation and Parole, Galantino said Deutsch will be released and state police will make proper notification. "The goal here is to have a place that would not place other children at risk," Galantino said. Galantino is chief prosecutor for the Special Victims Unit, which includes the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force cases. Though the Haynes and Deutsch cases did not involve the Internet, the concerns regarding child safety are a common thread. Members of the task force did nab William Fogle of Maryland in February 2005. He drove to Delaware County so the 13-year-old girl he thought he had met online could be his "sweetie for the night," authorities said at the time. He also rammed a county detective’s car and tried to flee from the rendezvous spot in Upper Chichester. Fogle was determined to be a sexually violent predatorby the assessment board. Defense attorney Albert Greto argued that Fogle is not violent and the matter is now under advisement by Common Pleas Judge Robert C. Wright. Attempts to reach Greto were unsuccessful. About a month ago, Jaleel Grose was declared a violent sexual predator following a hearing before Judge George Koudelis. Grose’s last known address is Rogers Avenue in Upper Darby. He raped an Upper Darby teen. A rapist is always considered a sexually violent predator, Galantino noted. Sherlock, whose last known address is 7315 West Chester Pike in Upper Darby. He is now eligible to be released from Houtzdale State Prison. He was 22 at the time of his arrest. Others who, according to Galantino, have been determined to be violent sexual predators are: - Stephen Blakeslee, whose last known address is 54 Lynn Blvd. in Upper Darby. He’s doing 10 to 20 years for sexual assault and is due for release in 2013. - Harry Devine, whose last known address is 128 Chester Pike in Collingdale. He was convicted of raping a teen and is due for parole in 2008. - Sheldon Granor, an Internet predator whose last known address is 12 Powers Place in Dresher, Montgomery County. He’s due for release in March 2007. Between July 2000 and February 2006, 47 court-ordered assessments under Megan’s Law were requested in Delaware County. Only Philadelphia County, with 209, Montgomery County (57), and Dauphin County (51) made more requests. Chester County lists 32 assessment orders for the same period. Galantino said Delaware County’s annual assessment requests have been consistently high. "I don’t know if that is good or bad," he said. While it’s a concern the county has so many, he suspects there are many cases in other counties where the law applies that assessments are simply not requested. http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16400690&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=577630&rfi=6

Cyber Dangers 6: A sexual offender speaks Rose Quinn, Of the Times Staff 03/31/2006 Convicted child-sex offender Steve Sembrat had just been asked how young he was willing to go as he cruised the Internet for a girl to play out his bondage sex fantasy. Dead silence fell over the telephone. "I don’t believe I would have gone younger than 13," Sembrat, 48, finally replied. He couldn’t say how he knew that for certain. And his plan for the girl afterward, when his urges that required props like rope and duct tape had been satisfied? "I would have just left," he answered. Thirteen is the age of the girl the veteran sportswriter for the Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre thought he was meeting at a CVS in Springfield last summer. Instead, he was greeted by the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and arrested on charges of criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault and related offenses. But according to the arrest affidavit, Sembrat wrote in one online exchange with Detective Lisa Carroll -- who poses as a teen in ongoing attempts to catch computer criminals -- about having tied up a 12-year-old girl at the shore and masturbating in her presence. Contrary to that exchange, Sembrat told the Daily Times in an interview that his desire to tie up young girls and have sex with them surfaced in his mind only about a year before his July 31, 2005, arrest. Even now, Sembrat admitted his "mind still wanders" on occasion, mostly when he has nothing to do. When it happens, he said, it’s a recurring scenario -- but never with anyone in particular. "There would be bondage," he said "and there would be young girls." And he said he had no real preference about the type of girl he’d like. "Just young," Sembrat said. Guilty plea On March 15, Delaware County Common Pleas Judge Frank Hazel accepted a negotiated plea from Sembrat, a bachelor who until this week lived at home with his 74-year-old mother. He pleaded guilty to criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, a first-degree felony, and criminal use of a communication facility, namely a computer, which is a third-degree felony. Guidelines call for him to serve two to four years in a state facility, according to Assistant District Attorney Joseph Brielmann, the office spokesman. Though formal sentencing is not scheduled until June 5, Sembrat surrendered Monday to begin serving his sentence, according to Brielmann. In the meantime, he will be evaluated by the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to determine if he is a sexually violent predator. If so, he’ll have to register for life on the Megan’s Law list. Otherwise, he’ll register for 10 years as a sexual offender. Sembrat, contacted at home in Edwardsville, Pa., spoke candidly about what he described as "sick" impulses that led up to his arrest and the impact those impulses have had on his life. "I never denied I did this," Sembrat said of his planned attempt to molest a Delaware County teen. "Right from the beginning, I never denied I tried to do it. What bugs me is I could not understand why I did this." And he’s sorry for the pain he’s caused his family, and the few friends he has left. "I don’t blame them at all," he said of those who have cast him aside. "My mistake was that I didn’t seek professional help," Sembrat said. That night in Springfield, he said, was the first time he acted on his impulses. Until then, all through his 20s and 30s, he said he was attracted to women of appropriate ages and had satisfying sex with some of them. Sembrat isn’t looking for any pity, he said, only help. He said he never let his personal urges cross over into his professional life. In addition to covering high school sports for the newspaper, Sembrat coached girls’ field hockey and was president of the Pocono Field Hockey Club. The bust Sembrat said he decided in his 20s that he liked the single lifestyle. He worked mostly nights. He said his interest in young girls bothered him from the start. He tried to "will himself" to stop. Several times, he killed off his AOL screen name, only to restore it. The longest he went off-line was a few months. He had $20 in his pocket and no set plans other than the rendezvous spot when he drove off from his home in Luzerne County last July. There had been some advance discussion about getting a hotel room, which he planned to put on a credit card. Sembrat’s exchanges with Carroll began in March 2005 and continued to the day of his arrest. In his car at the time of the bust, authorities found rope, duct tape, bondage photos, condoms and a digital camera. Sembrat makes no excuses. He said he bought the rope and duct tape just for the occasion. When he first got to the rendezvous spot, Sembrat said he got to thinking about what he was doing and just continued to drive by, intentionally. "I remember thinking, I can’t do this. This is crazy. I am risking everything I worked so hard for," Sembrat said. He doesn’t know how long he kept driving, or where he was when he decided to turn around. "I really didn’t remember turning around until Lt. Peifer was asking me why I rode past," Sembrat said. Lt. David C. Peifer leads the county’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Sembrat called his mother and told her what happened. Of course, "she was upset," he said. She’s the one who found his attorney. And posted his bail. Sembrat said he spent nine days in the county prison before being released. No undoing the past When he got out on bail, Sembrat said he began counseling to examine his behavior. He’s also had some medical testing, which revealed a brain tumor he believes might have contributed to his judgment and reasoning. In addition, he said he suffered a stroke, but never experienced any physical symptoms. His medical condition was not mentioned at the guilty plea proceeding and Brielmann had no comment on the matter. In a letter Sembrat wrote, he said he opted against a medical defense because he did not "wish to relive what has happened and re-open wounds that I hope in time will heal. "I also realize that I cannot undo what has happened. Most importantly, in pleading guilty, I seek to take responsibility for the situation and my actions. By doing this, I hope to give assurance to all that I am fully committed to finding solutions to the problems that face me," he wrote. As part of the plea, several initial charges were dropped. Sembrat said there were times when he was communicating with Carroll that he wondered about her, and if she was who she said she was. Sembrat said he always played it straight. Though the computer offered anonymity, he said he never tried to be something he wasn’t. His interest was bondage, and he made it known. Sembrat said he would only go online when he had time, maybe two hours a day at most. Some days would pass and he wouldn’t sign on at all. The conflict in his head, he said, was ongoing, but not all-consuming. It was during his moments of clarity that he would swear off the computer. "I would say, hey, this is nuts, kind of like the moment I had outside CVS," he said. Sembrat has a niece who is just about 13. To her and all his family, he said he is profoundly sorry. When asked what would he tell anyone who would consider doing to his niece what he wanted to do to a Delaware County teen, he said: "Get help. "It’s wrong," he said. Sembrat, who admitted he was nervous about jail, said he is looking forward to getting the help he needs. He said people like him who don’t get help, who think they can fight the urges on their own, are setting themselves up for a fall. "If you have these thoughts, you need to open up and let someone help you," Sembrat said. Sembrat won’t say he’s a pedophile. "I’ve shown tendencies I would like to get out of my life," he said. In no way does he think he is a sexually violent predator. As he begins what he said is a new chapter in his life, Sembrat said he is looking to God for guidance. Unlike some who believe investigations by the task force are entrapment, Sembrat said the arrest forced him to face himself. "I think they saved me," he said. Sembrat does have a problem with sting operations handled by some television news shows. He feels it violates the code of journalistic ethics and that the shows become a willing partner with law enforcement officials. "First of all, having a major television network conduct surveillance of citizens is reminiscent of an Orwellian society and it violates their civil rights," he wrote in a letter to the Daily Times. "If a police investigation were to include secret videotaping of individuals, it is reasonable to assume that the secret videotaping of individuals would require a court order. In having (the show) do this, police are able to circumvent Fourth Amendment restrictions on this type of surveillance. It is spying on American citizens, the same thing for which President Bush is being criticized by many." http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16408734&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=577630&rfi=6