FL - 31 arrested in South Florida sex-predator sting

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http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/15/2800163/31-arrested-in-south-florida-sex.html

Authorities say Shawn Gray, an attorney and lieutenant commander with the U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate General Corps, drove from his home in Miami to Sarasota recently to meet an 8-year-old girl he had met in a chat room.

But when Gray arrived in Sarasota County, to a house where he thought the child would be home alone, he was instead greeted by Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputies who arrested him..............

Gray was one of 31 nabbed in a six-day sting called Operation Intercept, an attempt to protect Manatee and Sarasota counties’ children from online predators, Knight said Monday during a news conference at the sheriff’s office in downtown Sarasota.

More at link.....
 
I have a few questions about this...who with any kind of brain would have even thought an 8 year old could or would be able to use a 'chat room'? Why would he think he could just waltz up to a house and say I'm here to meet your 8 year old?

This is just sickening!
 
I have a few questions about this...who with any kind of brain would have even thought an 8 year old could or would be able to use a 'chat room'? Why would he think he could just waltz up to a house and say I'm here to meet your 8 year old?

This is just sickening!

That was my first thought too. Not very smart. And very sick.
 
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/15/2800163/31-arrested-in-south-florida-sex.html


All 31 suspects responded to Internet-based ads and engaged in sexually explicit written and verbal conversation, according to a Sarasota Sheriff’s Office press release.

What also is disturbing about the sting, in which the sheriff’s office also was able to take the suspect’s vehicles as "tools of their trade," is that this form of predation seems to be able to fool children who are not fooled when someone tries to entice them in person.

:eek:nline: Predators establish contact with kids through chat rooms, instant messaging and discussion boards, Knight said. The anonymity of the Internet allows these criminals to seem like caring individuals, but they’re only looking for vulnerable victims.

Parents, you have to be your child’s protector and monitor what they are doing online. An informed child is a child not likely to be victimized, McNulty added.

Kudos to the numerous local and state LE agencies and task forces who conducted the operation !!!

:justice:
 
Nick Barthram




https://www.facebook.com/nick.barthram


Barthram who along with his wife owns and operated The King George Pub. Barthram hails from Manchester, England.

Where'd he even get the time to be online let alone preparing to meet little children? Hopefully he'll get a sentence and then when he's done go the heck back to Manchester.
 
:goodpost:


Filly, great posts! Especially the mug shots and news article! Very informative article by the Sarasota Patch!!

I continue to be astounded how these perverts actually make contact with kids and young people using the internet and parents are unaware. My children are all adults so I did not have the internet concern when they were young, except for making them aware that pedophiles existed ... and that they could be male or female.

It is strange that parents with internet-literate children who are at vunerable ages for these predators, just don't appear to be very aware of how serious this problem is. Everybody is so busy just trying to live life. And, people have the attitude "it's not going to happen to me or mine."

:seeya:
 
I have a few questions about this...who with any kind of brain would have even thought an 8 year old could or would be able to use a 'chat room'? Why would he think he could just waltz up to a house and say I'm here to meet your 8 year old?

This is just sickening!

This is what makes crimes like these even more scary..the fact that these scumbags were so driven by sexual perversion they threw logic out the window. We are surounded by weirdo's everyday. This is why I am so over-protective! Sick monsters. IMO
 

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