27 Month Grant-Funded Project Results in over 150 Arrests from over 6,000 Incidents
Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force
February 1, 2007 - May 31, 2009
The Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is pleased to report the following accomplishments as the result of the joint efforts of many federal, state and local agencies over the past 27 months. Led by the Phoenix Police Department and partially funded with a grant from the DOJ/OJJDP, investigators completed the following tasks towards their mission of protecting children from Internet sexual predators and traffickers of unlawful images:
Investigations
- 6,162 incidents or requests for service initiated, received, or undertaken.
- 1,062 of the 6162 incidents were the result of information received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Arrests and Adjudications
- 153 offenders arrested or indicted for unlawful images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors or luring/enticement offenses.
- 32 of the 153 offenders were arrested as the result of peer-to-peer (file-sharing) investigations.
- 51 offenders adjudicated from this or previous reporting periods received a total of 418.75 years incarceration. Most offenders also received lifetime probation and must register as a sex offender.
Training
- 36,464 citizens received ICAC awareness and prevention training.
- 3,281 law enforcement officers from various Arizona agencies attended specialized training related to Internet crimes against children.
- 144 prosecutors and other professionals from Arizona attended specialized training related to Internet Crimes Against Children.
Memorandums of Understanding and Shared Funds
Arizona ICAC Task Force
Selected Significant Incidents
February 1, 2007 – May 31, 2009
The following information summarizes a few of the notable investigations that occurred during the entire grant period. Most of the cases described involved the interagency cooperative efforts and assistance from state, county and local agencies including but not limited to the FBI, ICE and the US Postal Inspections Service. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also assisted in some cases. Most of the AZ ICAC cases involving Phoenix suspects are prosecuted through the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
- In February 2007, a proactive luring/enticement investigation led to the arrest of Christopher Edward Hawkins. Using his webcam, the man had also displayed his genitals and masturbated. Pursuant to his arrest, the man admitted to participating in prior sex acts with five minors whom he had met via the Internet. He had also created video of himself engaging in sex acts with one of the minors. The offender plead to several felony charges including sexual exploitation of minors, sexual conduct with minors, attempt public sexual indecency and luring a minor for sexual exploitation. The offender was convicted and sentenced to a 10 year prison term, lifetime probation and must register as a sex offender.
- In June 2007, a reactive investigation involving a familial contact offender led to the arrest of an Arizona prison guard who had molested his six year old daughter and distributed 90 images of the offenses via the Internet. The images were found as far away as Croatia. The offender was convicted and sentenced to a prison term of 245 years.
- In August 2007, AZ ICAC detectives were advised by a citizen-informant of a man who had a collection of child pornography that he wished to sell. Detectives worked proactively and began communicating with the offender. The offender, Ronald Bruce Sirull, arranged for a "dead drop” exchange of printed images for cash from an undercover detective. The offender chose his unoccupied personal vehicle as the location of the exchange. After the “dead drop” exchange, detectives prepared search warrants for the offenders dwelling, vehicle and place of business. Evidence was seized and the offender was arrested. The offenders" vehicle was also seized for forfeiture. He was booked for 12 counts related to the unlawful images, and 5 counts of sexual conduct with a minor. Investigators are still working to identify contact “hands-on” victims of the offender. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office handled the plea bargain. The offender was sentenced to a 17 year prison term, lifetime probation and he must register as a sex offender.
- In November 2007, a NCMEC Cybertip led Montgomery County Pennsylvania ICAC investigators to an offender who was subsequently arrested there for unlawful images. Investigation into the offenders’ contacts led to several other offenders, including one in Phoenix AZ. In July 2008, a 54 year old pharmacist/father of two was arrested in Phoenix and found to have unlawful images on his home computer. He made admissions to the offenses. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the Phoenix case. Forensics also identified dozens of other offenders nationwide with whom the Phoenix man was exchanging illegal images. These investigations are continuing.
- In February 2008, a Florida ICAC investigation into unlawful images led to an associated suspect in California. California ICAC investigators prepared and served a search warrant at the California residence. They learned that the suspect was working as a sports network cameraman in Phoenix. AZ ICAC investigators from the Mesa PD executed a search warrant at the suspect’s hotel room and arrested him. He will be charged with child pornography crimes in California. The suspect was extradited and released to the Los Angeles Police Department.
- In April 2008, the AZ ICAC received NCMEC Cybertips about unlawful images that were originally reported by AOL. The tips led to a suspect in St. Johns, Arizona. Phoenix Police investigators worked with detectives from St. Johns and other agencies until a search warrant was served resulting in the arrest of a man and woman, both of whom were charged with sexual exploitation of a minor (child pornography). The Apache County Attorney’s office is handling prosecution in this case. One defendant has plead guilty and is awaiting sentencing while the other may choose trial.
- In April 2008, a joint investigation by ICE and the Phoenix PD ICAC Task Force resulted in the arrest of veteran Phoenix PD homicide detective Richard Michael Polk for ten counts of sexual exploitation of a minor (child pornography). The offender was booked into jail and resigned from the police department. Pursuant to a plea agreement, the offender was sentenced to 7.5 years prison, lifetime probation and must register as a sex offender.
- In July 2008, a 22 year old Avondale AZ man, Jeffery Preller, traveled to Sierra Vista to meet a person whom he believed to be a minor for the purpose of engaging in sex acts. The fictitious minor was an undercover ICAC investigator from Sierra Vista PD and the man was arrested. Examination of the offender’s phone and computer revealed sexual messages that he had previously exchanged with an unidentified minor in Phoenix indicating that he had engaged in sexual intercourse the night before his arrest. Investigators identified and contacted the minor in Phoenix and verified that sex acts had occurred. The offender pled to the original charges of luring a minor for sexual exploitation involving the undercover investigation in a Cochise County Court. The offender was sentenced to a 5 year prison term. He will also have to answer charges of sexual conduct with a minor in Maricopa County based on the evidence developed as the result of the luring investigation.
- Deputies from the Coconino County Arizona Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Ash Fork for the purpose of standing by during a civil matter while a 14 year old girl gathered her belongings and moved out. Investigators learned that 51 year old Donald Leacock had married a 16 year old girl and had allowed two other girls, both aged 14, to also reside there. Using the Internet, the man had provided the girls to other men for sex acts and then filmed the offenses. The offender was indicted and charged with 24 counts of crimes including sexual exploitation of a minor, child abuse and sexual conduct with a minor. The case was prosecuted by the Coconino County Attorney’s Office. In September, 2008 the offender was sentenced to 30 years prison with the Arizona Department of Corrections.
- In 2008, Gilbert police received a complaint from a female/single-parent about a man that she had met through Craigslist. During their communications, the man’s attention began to focus on the woman’s six year old daughter. The man said that he was willing to pay a large sum of money for sexual intercourse with the girl. Investigators worked with the complainant and made arrangements with the suspect to meet at a designated location to complete this crime. The suspect arrived at the location and was arrested by detectives. The suspect was indicted on attempt prostitution charges. The case is being prosecuted by the Maricopa County Attorneys Office with hearings pending.
- In March 2009, an AZ ICAC investigator from the Phoenix Police Department, was working proactively on the Internet and identified a location trafficking unlawful images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. A search warrant was executed at the suspect’s residence. Investigation resulted in the arrest of a 19 year old suspect who also made admissions to prior contact offenses. The suspect was jailed for the unlawful images and the molestation investigation is continuing. The Maricopa County Attorneys office is prosecuting the case.
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