Operation Southern Impact II: Scores of Alleged Dirtbags Arrested in Multi-State Child Exploitation Roundup; Includes Fairfax Teacher, Maryland Men; Alabama Social Media Child Porn Kingpin; Illegal Alien Pastor in Durham, N. C.

MARYLAND

Harford Co. Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD — Maryland State Police report that a Harford County man was arrested and charged on March 14, 2018, after a Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation developed evidence supporting charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.

The suspect is identified as George Kinney, 59, of Havre De Grace, Md.., is charged with five counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of distribution of child pornography. Kinney was arrested on an arrest warrant and later transported to the Harford County Detention Center.

Maryland State Police Spokesman Sgt. DaVaughn Parker reports that during January of 2018, investigators received multiple downloads of images depicting child pornography from a computer traced to Kinney. Shortly after 5:00 a.m. today, the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which consisted of the Maryland State Police and Homeland Security Investigations served a search and seizure warrant at Kinney’s residence. Investigators recovered electronic equipment that will be forensically examined.

The Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit coordinates the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. This is a combined law enforcement effort involving police departments across Maryland that is funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. Task force investigators focus on identifying those involved in child pornography via the Internet and other related crimes that victimize children.

 

 

SEAN MICHAEL HERBERT CHARGED WITH CHILD PORN DISTRIBUTION

SYKESVILLE, MD.  – Maryland State Police report that a Carroll County man was arrested and charged on March 8, 2018, after a Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation developed evidence supporting charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.

The suspect is identified as Sean Michael Herbert, 38, of Sykesville, MD., is charged with six counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of distribution of child pornography. Herbert was arrested at his residence without incident and later transported to the Carroll County Detention Center where he posted bond and was released.

 

ALLEN RAY LEASE CHARGED WITH
DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

CUMBERLAND, MD.  – Maryland State Police report that an Allegany County man was arrested and charged on Feb. 2, 2018, after a Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation developed evidence supporting charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.

Police report that Allen Ray Lease, 31, of Cumberland, Md., is charged with six counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of distribution of child pornography. Lease was arrested and is being held without bail at the Allegany County Jail.

 

JON DALE LOHR, 80, CHARGED WITH SIX COUNTS OF CHILD PORN POSSESSION, THREE COUNTS OF DISTRIBUTION

FROSTBURG, MD.  – An Allegany County man was arrested and charged Feb. 1, 2018, after a Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation developed evidence supporting charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.

The Maryland State Police report that the suspect, Jon Dale Lohr, 80, of Frostburg, Md., is charged with six counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of distribution of child pornography. Lohr was arrested and is being held without bail at the Allegany County Detention Center.

 

JEFFREY LITTERAL PICKED UP ON CHILD PORN CHARGES BY MARYLAND STATE POLICE TASK FORCE

DENTON, MD.  – Maryland State Police investigators have arrested a Caroline County man after an investigation led to criminal charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.

The suspect is identified as Jeffrey Litteral, 52, of Denton, Md. He is charged with possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, possession of obscene material, and distribution of obscene material. Litteral was arrested on a warrant at about 7:30 p.m. yesterday near his home. He was taken before a court commissioner for an initial appearance and was held without bond.

 

Daniel Chetelat Jr. Busted for Distribution and Possession of Child Porn

KINGSVILLE, MD.  – Maryland State Police report that a Harford County man was arrested and charged this morning after a Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation developed evidence supporting charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.

The suspect, Daniel Chetelat Jr., 49, of Kingsville, Md., is charged with six counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of distribution of child pornography. Chetelat was arrested and later transported to the Harford County Detention Center where he is being held on $50,000 bail.

 

Fairfax Middle School Teacher Robert Keith Rowe charged with Possession of Child Porn

ARLINGTON, Va. – Arlington Police report that Detectives with the Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit have charged at teacher at Sandburg Middle School in Fairfax, 56-year-old Robert Keith Rowe of Arlington, Va., with Possession of Child Pornography. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.

An Arlington County detective assigned to the regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force began an intensive investigation into the online activities of Mr. Rowe after receiving a tip about possible criminal behavior. Following the execution of a search warrant at his residence in the 1200 block of S. Forest Drive on the morning of March 15, Mr. Rowe was taken into custody. Evidence collected at the scene resulted in the charge against him.

Rowe is currently a teacher at Sandburg Middle School in Fairfax County. At this time, detectives have not located evidence to suggest he has had inappropriate contact with children. This remains an ongoing and active criminal investigation and anyone with information about Mr. Rowe that may be pertinent to this case is asked to contact either Detective G. Sloan at 703-228-4198 or gsloan@arlingtonva.us or Detective H. Molina at 703-228-4208 or hmolina@arlingtonva.us. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

NORTH CAROLINA

NC SBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Alan K. Flora of the SBI Computer Crimes Unit serves as the Commander of the NC ICAC Task Force.  SAC Flora stated that North Carolina’s contribution to the overall operation included 27 search warrants, 56 knock, and talks, 190 digital devices seized along with 178 DVD’s/CD’s.  Eight NC men were arrested range in age from 32 to 73, and 8 children were rescued/removed from abusive situations.

Arrests in North Carolina:

• 

  On March 14 – 15, 2018 Moore County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Digital Forensics Specialists from other laws enforcement agencies participated in Operation Southern Impact II, an effort made across eight southeastern states to combat internet crimes against children.

• During the Operation, Moore County Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at a residence in the Pinebluff area of Moore County where they searched multiple electronic devices. Deputies seized more than two hundred and fifty sexually explicit videos involving minor children between the ages of four and seventeen.
• Deputies arrested Kevin Scott Smith, age 40, of Pinebluff. Smith is currently charged with ten counts of felony second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and ten counts of felony third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

 

Moore County deputies assigned to the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) are continuing to comb through the large quantity of data seized from Smith’s residence in search of additional leads on this case and other investigations.

The Moore County Sheriff’s Office has been an active member of the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force since 2010. In 2016, Sheriff Neil Godfrey obtained a grant in the amount of $50,000.00 from the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission to provide the Sheriff’s Office deputies with updated training and modern equipment that is now being used by deputies to effectively combat internet crimes against children and to conduct forensic investigations of computers and smartphones seized in other investigations.  The Sheriff’s Office provides this service to all of the law enforcement agencies in Moore County.

• 

  North Carolina SBI Agents arrested Juan Alberto Juarez Saravia, W/M, 35, an illegal alien from El Salvador who worked as a traveling Pastor in the Hispanic community in the Durham area. Juarez Saravia admitted to utilizing a fictitious identity Facebook account to entice a fourteen-year-old Virginia girl into producing sexually explicit videos of herself which she then sent to Juarez Saravia.  He is currently in the Durham County jail, charged with First Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Second Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and Indecent Liberties with a Child. Juarez Saravia is being held on a $750,000 bond. This investigation is ongoing due to evidence indicating there may be more minor victims.  NC SBI Agents are especially concerned that Juarez Saravia may have victims who are also undocumented immigrants and thus less likely to report the crimes committed against them.  The NC SBI is working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to determine the precise immigration status of Juarez Saravia and whether or not he had previously been deported.

• North Carolina SBI Agents and Currituck County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested Richard Wayne Bell, W/M/73, of Moyock, NC, for child pornography offenses. Bell was a church Deacon and served as an administrator in a church daycare program.
• Macon County Sheriff’s Detectives executed a search warrant and seized property from a 36-year-old man accused of hands-on sexual offenses against as many as five children. The crimes allegedly took place in North Carolina and multiple other states due to the man’s travel as a construction worker.
• Cherokee County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested a 37-year-old registered sex offender who had failed to report an address change when he moved to a residence 290 feet from a local high school. Digital evidence searched pursuant to the man’s arrest indicated that he was involved in the sale of illegal drugs.  Additional information developed indicated that the man was utilizing minor females to traffic drugs.
• Guilford County (NC) Sheriff’s Detectives examined digital devices seized from a registered sex offender who was working as a magician. Evidence of child pornography was located.  The investigation is ongoing.

A seventeen-year-old Canadian girl recently received nude photos of herself from an anonymous Snapchat user, who demanded more nude photographs.  The girl recognized the photos as some that she had taken and sent to a boyfriend at age fourteen.  She was under the impression at the time that the photos had been deleted by the boyfriend.  The girl reported the sextortion attempt to Ontario law enforcement who tracked the cyberstalker to Rowan County, North Carolina.  NC SBI Agents, HSI Agents, and Rowan County Deputies located a twenty-one-year-old male who admitted to his attempts to extort the girl to produce more photos.  Charges are pending review by the US Attorney’s Office.

Acting on a Cyber-tip about a child in danger, police officers in Monroe executed a search warrant at a residence where they found a seven-year-old girl in an abusive situation.  The girl was removed from the home by the Department of Social Services.  The investigation is ongoing and the child is now safe.

The following North Carolina ICAC Task Force agencies took part in the operation:

North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Alamance County SO, Alexander County SO, Asheville PD, Boone PD, Brunswick County SO, Cabarrus County SO, Cary PD, Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD, Cherokee County SO, Concord PD, Cumberland County SO, Currituck County SO, Duplin County SO, Fayetteville PD, Forsyth County SO, Gaston County SO, Gastonia PD, Greensboro PD, Guilford County SO, Harnett County SO, Henderson County SO, Hendersonville PD, HSI – Charlotte, HSI – Hendersonville, HSI – Winston Salem, HSI – Wilmington, HSI – Winston Salem, Johnston County SO, Kernersville PD, Sampson County SO, Macon County SO, Monroe PD, Moore County SO, Orange County SO, Rockingham County SO, Rowan County SO, Transylvania County SO, US Attorney’s Office – Eastern District, US Attorney’s Office – Middle District, US Marshals, Wake County District Attorney’s Office, Wake County SO, Watauga County SO, Winston Salem PD, Winterville PD

Additional assisting agencies who are not members of the NC ICAC Task Force were NCIS Norfolk (VA), Fairfax County (VA) PD, Durham PD, Wilson County SO, Wilson PD, and the Ontario (Canada) Provincial Police.

SAC Flora expressed his gratitude to all agencies and officers who took part in the operation.  “Much of what we do happens behind the scenes due to the sensitive issues of crimes against children and the need to respect the privacy of the victims.  Operation Southern Impact II highlights the types of investigations ICAC Task Force officers deal with on a daily basis.  It is important to understand that people who prey on children walk among us everywhere.  They are in our schools, our churches, and hidden in plain sight in all of our neighborhoods.  Many of them believe that they are operating anonymously on the internet, but I assure you they can be caught when adequate resources are committed to that cause.  The ICAC Task Force is relentless in our determination to expose and remove those who prey on our most vulnerable and precious citizens.  We are fighting a battle that never ends, but we never quit.”

 

U.S. Attorney Charges Germaine Moore with 11 Counts of Production of Child Porn After Porn Video Went Wild on Social Media

 

MONTGOMERY, ALA.  – An obscene video involving a minor that went viral on social media at the end of January 2018 is still under investigation, but suspect Germaine Moore, 44, of Millbrook now faces 11 counts of Production of Child Pornography, all federal offenses, for two videos and nine images.

These charges and other details were announced, March 27, 2018, during a morning news conference at Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) Headquarters. Participants represented law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies on the local, state and federal levels: Alabama Secretary of Law Enforcement Hal Taylor, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama Clark Morris, Elmore County District Attorney Randall Houston, and Lt. Brooke Walker, commander of both the Special Victims Unit of ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigation, and the Alabama Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

Secretary Taylor said, “This investigation clearly demonstrates collaboration on all levels of law enforcement is key. Germaine Moore was behind bars within days because we worked as one and combined our resources.”

In addition to ALEA and its ICAC and tactical team, the following agencies supported efforts to locate and arrest the suspect: Millbrook Police Department, Montgomery Police Department, Alexander City Police Department, Tallapoosa Sheriff’s Office, Etowah Sheriff’s Office, Central Alabama CrimeStoppers and Elmore County District Attorney’s Office, as well as the Michigan Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Morris said sexually assaulting children is absolutely the worst kind of crime. “Everyone — especially parents — wants to ensure the safety of our children. This defendant preyed upon his own family, sexually assaulted his own family and robbed these children of their childhood. It is my hope that this investigation and prosecution will keep this sexual predator from ever hurting another child,” she said.

Elmore County DA Randall Houston agreed. He said, “I am pleased the U.S. Attorney’s Office got involved in this case. Our goal all along has been to ensure this guy gets as much time as possible.”

Moore should receive the maximum amount of time with four prosecuting agencies involved, Mr. Houston said, referring to his office as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Wayne County, Mich., District Attorney’s Office.

The investigation began Jan. 31, when several Alabama agencies were notified this particular video was being widely disseminated on multiple social media platforms and was seen around the world.

Lt. Walker said all agencies involved at that time combined resources to locate the child and the adult male offender portrayed in the video.

She added, “Close partnerships with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Facebook developed more investigative leads, including information that led investigators to believe the video had a strong connection to the Montgomery area.”

Detroit Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit shared a strong lead with Alabama’s ICAC Task Force. Task force members vetted the information and determined it had enough merit to support Detroit PD’s investigators to secure 11 warrants for Criminal Sexual Contact with a Child Under 13 Years of Age and other related offenses on Moore. More importantly, though, the two agencies collaborated to identify and rescue the child victims.

Secretary Taylor agreed and said it was crucial investigators identify and remove the children from the abusive situation as quickly as possible.

“Those of us involved in this type of investigation remain committed to exhausting all resources, and we will do everything — everything! — in our power to protect children from sexual exploitation and to bring to justice those who prey on children, the most vulnerable of victims,” Secretary Taylor said.

Operation Southern Impact II: Alabama Arrests 12 in Two-Day, Multi-State Child Exploitation Initiative

MONTGOMERY – Twelve individuals were arrested, and four children were rescued or identified as victims of child sexual exploitation during March during Operation Southern Impact II, a coordinated initiative involving eight states across the Southeast.

Operation Southern Impact II, which focused on individuals who sexually exploit children by using the Internet, was a joint effort consisting of 10 Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces tasked with combating the sexual exploitation of children.

Law enforcement officials spent approximately four months to plan, and for two days executed search warrants, conducted undercover operations and made arrests in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. In all, 222 law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies participated, 38 of which are in or near Alabama.

Lieutenant Brooke Walker, Commander of the Alabama ICAC Task Force and Alabama State Bureau of Investigation’s Special Victims Unit said, “Joining forces with all of our law enforcement partners on the Alabama ICAC Task Force and other State ICAC Task Forces emphasizes the commitment that members of the ICAC Program have and will stop at nothing to protect children from those who prey on them. This collaboration from the dedicated men and women who fight every day to defend innocence and arrest child predators makes for a successful mission and a clear impact in this region.”

The following individuals were arrested as part of this Operation:

• Charles Salter of Montgomery – 10 counts of Dissemination of Child Pornography
• Bobby Guy of Dadeville – SORNA Violation
• William Brown Jr. of Silverhill – 7 counts of Possession of Child Pornography
• Kevin Perez of Enterprise – 10 counts of Dissemination of Child Pornography
• Jon Hunter of Birmingham – 4 counts of Possession of Child Pornography
• Chris Tyler of Adger – 6 counts of Dissemination of Child Pornography, SORNA Violation
• Chadwick Rice of Pinson – 4 counts of Possession of Child Pornography, SORNA Violation
• Timothy Haughery of Opelika – 1 count of Dissemination of Child Pornography, 4 counts of Possession of Child Pornography
• Aaron Gill of Lucedale, Miss. – 5 counts of Transmitting Obscene Material to a Minor

***One subject was arrested by a federal agency, but information will not be released pending further investigation.

The 61 ICAC Task Forces across the nation are working cases and conducting investigative actions like this daily, and they want to reinforce to those who exploit children that ICAC Task Forces will work together to make an impact in their respective states and the region as a whole. The cooperation among agencies and states illustrates their level of commitment to detect, arrest and prosecute anyone who preys on children.

Walker said, “Cooperation is always key in law enforcement, but it is vital we collaborate to protect children.” Operation Southern Impact II has given members of these task forces an opportunity to share experience, information and resources across units, agencies and state lines to ensure there is no safe place to hide for criminals who would victimize the most vulnerable among us.

Created by the U.S. Department of Justice, the National ICAC Task Force Program comprises more than 4,000 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, other related criminal justice agencies and prosecutors’ services. The program’s mission is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing an effective response to cyber enticement and child pornography cases. This support encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, as well as victim services, prevention and community education. It was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the Internet, the proliferation of child pornography and the heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims. By assisting state and local law enforcement agencies to develop effective and sustainable responses to online child victimization and child pornography, the national ICAC program delivers national resources at the local level.

The following 36 agencies participated as members of the Alabama ICAC Task Force to combine efforts for a successful operation:

Alabama State Bureau of Investigation – Special Victims Unit

Alabama State Bureau of Investigation – Major Crimes Unit

Alabama State Bureau of Investigation – Alcohol Unit

Alabama Fusion Center

ALEA Tactical Team

Brewton Police Department

Orange Beach Police Department

Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office

Homeland Security Investigations – Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham and Huntsville Jurisdictions

Enterprise Police Department

Daleville Police Department

Prattville Police Department

Montgomery Police Department

Tallassee Police Department

United States Marshals Service

Lanett Police Department

Opelika Police Department

Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Office

Alexander City Police Department

Florence Police Department

Madison County Sheriff’s Office

Huntsville Police Department

Joint Electronic Crimes Task Force Computer Forensics Lab

Tennessee Valley Computer Regional Laboratory

Federal Bureau of Investigation – Birmingham Office

Rainbow City Police Department

Brookside Police Department

Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office

Vestavia Hills Police Department

Etowah County Sheriff’s Office

St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office

Pelham Police Department

Moody Police Department

Piedmont Police Department