THEY'RE
THEY'RE TROLLING THE INTERNET, LOOKING FOR VICTIMS. SEXUAL PREDATORS ARE
INFILTRATING WEBSITES POPULAR
WITH KIDS; OFTEN4@
MASQUERADING AS KIDS THEMSELVES.
13 ON YOUR SIDE'S JOHN HOGAN
LOOKS AT THE GROWING MENACE OF
ONLINE4@
PREDATORS... AND WHAT IS BEING
DONE TO STOP THEM IN THEIR
TRACKS.
TRACKS.
TRACKS. HOGAN STAND-UP: A GENERATION OR
TRACKS. HOGAN STAND-UP: A GENERATION OR@
SO AGO, CHILD SEX PREDATORS TYPICALLY HAD TO LEAVE HOME TO
FIND VICTIMS. AND THERE WERE4@
BARRIERS. THAT, UNFORTUNATELY,
IS LESS OFTEN THE CASE TODAY.
10:15:38: "WHEREVER THE KIDS ARE
IS ALSO WHERE THE PREDATORS ARE.
ALWAYS.''
10:15:26: "THE DOORWAYS THAT
ONLINE PREDATORS HAVE TO YOUNG
PEOPLE ARE SITTING IN THE 4@
POCKETS OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.''
THAT DOOR IS YOUR IPHONE. JUST
ABOUT EVERY KID HAS ONE. AND FO@
PREDATORS, IT'S EASY PICKINGS.
10:17:24: THESE AREN'T MY
NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS OR MY SCHOOL
FRIENDS. THESE ARE PEOPLE ALL
OVER THE WORLD OF ALL AGES.''
CHRIS MCKENNA IS THE FOUNDER OF
PROTECT YOUNG EYES. HE SAYS
PREDATORS KNOW WHAT POPULAR 4@
SITES KIDS LIKE TO VISIT.
10:17:48: "BUT I WOULD PUT
ROBLOX, TIKTOK, SNAPCHAT AND4@
INSTAGRAM THOSE FOUR AT THE
VERY TOP OF ANY LIST.''
POSING AS OTHER KIDS, THEY GET
INTO SOCIAL CHATROOMS, FIND
TARGETS AND
BEGIN GROOMING.THEY CONVINCE
KIDS TO SEND SELFIES. THEY MAY
SUGGEST SOMETHING RISQU. MAYBE
EVEN A NUDE PHOTO; OFFERING
TO DO THE SAME. THAT'S WHEN THE
HOOK IS SET.
TO DO THE SAME. THAT'S WHEN THE HOOK IS SET.4@ IT'S A SCENARIO DETECTIVE SGT.
JOEL ROON HAS SEEN TIME AND 4@
AGAIN.4@
09:46:40: "IT'S VERY COMMON FOR
A CHILD TO JUST THINK THAT THEY
CAN FIX IT THEMSELF.''4@
09:46:43: "THEY THINK THAT THEY
CAN JUST ONE MORE IMAGE. I'M
GOING TO DISENGAGE AND THIS
NIGHTMARE IS GOING TO BE OVER.
AND THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE.''
THIS NEW4@ REALITY HAS CHANGED E
WAY LAW ENFORCEMENT 4@
DOES ITS WORK.
HOGAN STAND-UP: A TEAM WORKING
OUT OF THIS BUILDING BEHIND ME
IS ONE
THE FRONTLINES OF THIS EFFORT TO
STOP SEX PREDATORS. IT'S4@
CALLED WEBCHEX. AND THEY HAVE A
LEGACY OF SUCCESS.
10:00:09: "TEACHERS, PASTORS.
THERE HAVE EVEN BEEN POLICE
OFFICERS. 4@
BUSINESS PEOPLE, UNEMPLO4@YED
PEOPLE. PEOPLE IN THE ARTS.
10:00:27:
"IT SPANS ALL PROFESSIONS. AND
ALL DEMOGRAPHICS.'' 4@
A RECENT WEBCHEX INVESTIGATION
LED TO THE RECENT ARREST OF
PHILIP
PAAUWE. COURT RECORD INDICATE
THE GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
TEACHER WAS INTERESTED IN SEX
WITH A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
THEN THERE'S FRANCISCO SOTO AND
RICHARDO URBINA. THEY WERE
SNARED IN A
WEBCHEX INVESTIGATION INTO TEEN
PROSTITUTION IN KENT AND4@
MUSKEGON COUNTIES. PROSTITUTION
SERVICES WERE
ADVERTISED ON BACKPAGE.COM4@
BUT IT'S NOT JUST LOCAL
PREDATORS PREYING ON LOCAL
KIDS.HARLAN
WRIGHT FLEW HERE FROM FATE,
TEXAS TO MEET A MOTHER AND HER
TWO
YOUNG DAUGHTERS. HE WAS INTO
QUOTE: DEGRADATION AND
PAIN.
JONATHAN LEDOUX CAME FROM
MASSACHUSETTS. HE WANTED TO FIT
PAIN. JONATHAN LEDOUX CAME FROM MASSACHUSETTS. HE WANTED TO FIT@
HIS VICTIMS WITH COLLARS "AS A
SIGNATURE OF OWNERSHIP.'' 4@
09:56:11: "I WAS SHOCKED AT HOW
FAR PEOPLE WOULD TRAVEL FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN A SEX
ACT WITH A KID4@. IT'S SHOCKING'
FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO
WAITING VICTIMS. WRIGHT AND
LEDOUX WERE SNARED IN AN
UNDERCOVER OPERATION. WRIGHT4@
LEDOUX WERE SNARED IN AN UNDERCOVER OPERATION. WRIGHT4@4@ GOT 10 YEARS IN PRISON. LEDOUX'S
CASE IS PENDING.
U.S. ATTORNEY ANDREW BIRGE SAYS
THESE KINDS OF UNDERCOVER 4@
OPERATIONS ARE CRITICAL TO
WEEDING OUT ONLINE PREDATORS.
07:47:33: "IT'S A VERY COMMON
LAW ENFORCEMENT TOOL TO BE
WORKING UNDERCOVER AND TO BE
ABLE4@ TO MAKE CONTACT AND DRAW
SOME OF THESE OFFENDERS OUT
BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY
SUCCESSFULLY EXPLOIT A CHILD.''
AN ANNUAL CAMPAIGN INVOLVING
TEAMS LIKE WEBCHEX4@
GOES AFTER ONLINE PREDATORS.
OPERATION BROKEN HEART LAST YEAR
NABBED 2,300 OFFENDERS4@
NATIONWIDE. NEARLY THREE
DOZEN RIGHT HERE IN MICHIGAN.
THOSE NUMBERS ARE UP FROM
PREVIOUS
YEARS.
PREVIOUS YEARS. MATT BORGULA IS A FO4@RMER FEDEL
PROSECUTOR NOW IN PRIVATE
PRACTICE.HE SAYS IT IS
IMPORTANT TO MAKE THE
DISTINCTION 4@
BETWEEN PREDATORS INTENT ON
4@
4@ DOING
4@ DOING HARM AND DISTURBED INDIVIDUALS WHO SIMPLY TALK
ABOUT IT.
12:07:22: "SHOW THAT THEY ARE
PREDISPOSED TO COMMIT THE CRIME@
12:07:25: "SOMEO4@NE WHO'S
ACTUALLY OUT THERE, GOES ON THE
INTERNET
WITH THE INTENT TO DO SOME
HARM.''
CHRIS MCKENNA SAYS HIS
ORGANIZATION IS WORKING TO
REDUCE THE PREY FOR PREDATORS.
10:22:35: "MAKE NO MISTAKE. KIDS
TODAY, IN THEIR BEDROOMS, IN TH@
COMFORT OF THEIR HOME, CAN MAKE
DECISIONS IN SECONDS THAT CAN 4@
RADICALLY CHAN4@GE THE TRAJECTO
OF THEIR LIVES.''
4@
AND JOHN HOGAN JOINS US NOW.4@