137 arrested and 32 children saved throughout Arizona
Case Highlights
In January 2012, during a proactive joint investigation by the FBI and the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the 26-year old suspect was arrested for possessing images and videos of young children being sexually abused. The suspect is seen in the movies and pictures molesting the young boys. The suspect is also a youth leader at a local church. There are numerous victims investigators are trying to identify. The suspect was arrested and booked in the Maricopa County Jail on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, child molestation and sexual conduct with a minor.
In February 2012, Phoenix PD received a tip from a valley computer repair company that found images on suspect’s computer. AZICAC investigators found numerous items of child pornography at the suspect’s residence, including pictures and videos of young boys ages 8 to 12 years old engaged in various sex acts. The suspect taught at North Ranch Elementary School in the Paradise Valley School District for six years. The suspect also mentored kids in an after school program called the GenYes Technology Club. Before this, the suspect taught at Arrowhead and Indian Bend Elementary Schools in the Paradise Valley district. The suspect was booked into Maricopa County Jail on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is handling prosecution in this matter.
In March 2012, AZICAC investigators from the Tucson Police Department suspected a Tucson man of sharing and distributing child pornography. A search warrant was served on the suspect’s residence and computer and other items were seized. The 38-year old suspect was arrested after investigators discovered illicit files that were shared to and from a computer in Tucson. The suspect was booked into Pima County Jail on 15 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
In April 2012, AZICAC investigators with Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and Casa Grande Police Department responded to a computer repair technician that reported finding images of children being sexually abused on the suspect’s computer. AZICAC investigators from Casa Grande Police Department seized the computer and obtained a search warrant to have the hard drive examined. Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Computer Forensic investigators were able to pull several images including videos of children being sexually abused. Based on the materials found, the 46-year old suspect was arrested at the Arizona Department of Corrections prison in Florence where the suspect works as a corrections officer.
In May 2012, an AZICAC investigator was contacted from a detective in North Dakota that was working proactively online in a chat room posing as a 14-year old girl. The suspect started chatting with the supposedly underage girl and the chats became sexual in nature and eventually led to the suspect allowing the supposedly underage girl to see him exposing himself on his webcam. The AZICAC investigator reviewed the information provided by the detective and corroborated suspect’s information, home and work. A search warrant was served on the suspect’s home and later another search warrant was served at the suspect’s work. The suspect is a teacher and football coach at Cortez High School. Suspect made admissions and was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on one count of aggravated luring a minor for sexual exploitation and two counts of luring a minor for sexual exploitation.
In June 2012, an AZICAC investigator from the Phoenix Police Department conducted a proactive Internet file sharing investigation which led to the identity and residence of a 63-year old Casa Grande man who owns his own accounting practice and has served as an official at youth soccer games in the Greater Phoenix area. The suspect is also a Casa Grande school-board member. The investigator examined several files containing child pornography. With the help of AZICAC investigators of the Casa Grande Police Department, a search warrant was conducted at the suspect’s place of business where he was in the process of downloading child pornography onto his laptop. The suspect was arrested and booked into Pinal County Jail on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
July 2012, during a proactive joint investigation by AZICAC and the FBI Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, arrested a 26-year old man for attempting to have sexual contact with a teenage girl. The suspect admitted to the crimes and stated he was sexually attracted to teenage girls. The suspect was arrested and booked into jail for sex crimes against a child.
August 2012, during a proactive joint investigation by the AZICAC Task Force and the FBI Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, arrested a 47-year old man (soccer coach and worked at a school), for possessing and distributing images of young children being sexually abused via the Internet. During the investigation, detective’s located evidence that the suspect was actively sexually abusing a minor. The victim was located and saved from further sexual abuse. The suspect admitted to the crimes was arrested and booked into jail on numerous sexual crimes against children charges, Dangerous Crimes Against Children.
September 2012, during a proactive joint investigation by the AZICAC Task Force and the FBI Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, Scottsdale PD, and Glendale PD, arrested a 55-year old man (teacher) for attempting to have sexual contact with a minor boy. During the investigation, detective’s located evidence that the suspect was actively soliciting a minor for sex. The suspect was also implicated in numerous other child molestation cases. The victims were located and saved from further abuse. The suspect was arrested and booked into jail on numerous sexual crimes against children charges, Dangerous Crimes Against Children.
October 2012, during a proactive joint investigation by the AZICAC Task Force and the FBI Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, arrested a 33-year old man for sexual conduct with a minor and other sexual crimes. During the investigation, detective’s located evidence. The suspect admitted to the crimes and was arrested and booked into jail on numerous sexual crimes against children charges, Dangerous Crimes Against Children.
November 2012, during a proactive joint investigation by the AZICAC Task Force and the FBI Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, arrested a 22-year old man for sexual conduct with a minor, child prostitution and sexual exploitation of a minor after it was learned the suspect created fake Facebook accounts and lured young teenage girls. In addition, the suspect possessed and distributed images of very young children being sexually abused under 7 years of age. During the investigation, detective’s found evidence. The suspect admitted to the crimes and was arrested and booked into jail on numerous sexual crimes against children charges, Dangerous Crimes Against Children.
December 2012, the suspect was training a new trucker when the new trainee asked to use his cell phone. The new trainee saw images of young children being sexually abused on the suspect’s cell phone. The trainee reported this to the main security at the trucking company. It was then the trucking security contacted law enforcement when the suspect arrived at the yard. Interviews were conducted and the suspect admitted he was in possession of over 1TB of child pornography. The images depicted infants, toddlers that were being sexually abused. An on-scene preview of the laptop and hard drive was done and hundreds of images located. The suspect was booked into jail.