seank80
Don't Taze My Dog Bro!!
Member since 5/07 2240 total posts
Name:
Sean
|
Nassau County Does a Cyber Sting and makes 21 arrests.
Even the potential of being shamed before the nation and their neighbors isn't enough to stop cybersex predators, Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice said Thursday as she announced the arrests of 21 men in a summerlong sting operation.
"These people watch these shows on TV, they read the newspaper, they see the parade of individuals who get snared in these sting operations and they simply don't care because the urge for them to prey on our children is far greater than any risk," Rice said Thursday.
Despite highly publicized arrests for cybersex crimes, 21 men ranging in age from 22 to 62 and from Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Maine were arrested in the sting.
The operation included a "sting house" in Merrick, where six of the men traveled for sex with girls they believed to be between 13 and 15 years old, Rice said. They were actually female police officers with Nassau's First Precinct who dressed like young girls, she said.
"They really fit into the role and were motivated to apprehend these predators," said Insp. Rick Lapece, commander of the First Precinct.
In North Merrick Thursday, there were no signs of life at the two-story sting house on Aster Avenue.
Rice said only that her office rented it for the operation.
Some neighbors had thought the home was being purchased by a young couple. The truth shocked some. "I didn't think it was anything like this," said Frances Iaconetti, 84.
Some North Merrick residents, like James Boden, 39, were infuriated that their neighborhood was chosen for the sting operation.
"(There's) got to be a better way than to bring these people into our neighborhoods," he said. "What would have happened if they were on their way to the sting house and they see a kid outside playing in the yard? What then? Why she do it where she lives?"
As part of any sting, law enforcement has an overwhelming presence in the neighborhoods to ensure residents' safety, said Eric Phillips, a spokesman for Rice.
"I guess no good deed, even leadership when it comes to fighting child predators, goes uncriticized," Phillips said.
The men were charged with various felonies and misdemeanors, including possessing a sexual performance by a child, attempted disseminating indecent material to minors, attempted endangering the welfare of a child and attempted criminal sexual act.
Some pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial, others pleaded guilty and are awaiting their sentence or are already behind bars. Some have had warrants issued for their arrest.
In all cases, the men had explicit chats online with undercover officers posing as young girls or boys, authorities said. Many also sent pornography.
The accused men are from diverse backgrounds. But two who stick out are Long Islanders Fred Volkmer, 62, of Hampton Bays and Mathew Bilyk, 59, of Huntington Station.
Volkmer formerly served as the deputy treasurer of the Village of Southampton and worked as a book reviewer for the New York Sun and Southampton Press, prosecutors said.
"I'm sick to my stomach," said Southampton Village Mayor Mark Epley after hearing of Volkmer's arrest. "I can't believe it."
Epley said Volkmer retired in June after working for the village for more than 20 years and that he didn't know him very well.
Bilyk worked formerly as a Transportation Security Administration agent.
Bilyk declined to comment when reached by phone and abruptly hung up.
Staff writers Mitchell Freedman, Laura Rivera and Katie Serignese contributed to this story.
|
