Purdue police part of undercover operation that leads to 24 arrests

The Purdue University Police Department was part of the ongoing undercover operation that included numerous federal, state and local officials. In the Tippecanoe County area, the investigation led to 11 arrests.

"This operation was an example of a well-coordinated effort between local law enforcement and the federal agencies working toward a common goal of keeping the children in the United States safe," said Purdue police detective Sgt. Carrie Costello, who was assigned to assist the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Marshal's Office on this case.

Agents and officers posed as underage females on a number of Internet chat rooms. Those arrested engaged in conversations in these chat rooms, believing they were chatting with an underage female.

Most made repeated efforts to arrange to meet the underage female for sexual purposes, and 11 of those arrested traveled to the proposed meeting place. The others, while not traveling, made numerous explicit sexual references during the chat room sessions.

This undercover operation was staged in three locations in the northern district of Indiana: Porter, St. Joseph and Tippecanoe counties. This law enforcement effort is part of a national effort, Project Safe Childhood, announced by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales earlier this summer.

All but one of those arrested were charged by a federal criminal complaint with a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b). That statute makes it a federal offense to use the Internet to coerce or entice a person under the age of 19 years to engage in sexual activity. One individual, arrested in the St. Joseph County operation, was charged with transmitting obscene material to a minor over the Internet.

All defendants have made or will soon make an initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge. All remain in custody and the United States Attorney's Office is seeking to detain all of these individuals pending trial. Detention hearings are pending.

"Regardless of whether we are parents or not, we all have the obligation to protect children," said U.S. Attorney Joseph S. Van Bokkelen. "There can be no higher calling. The cold fact is, however, there are some that not only do not want to protect children, but want to sexually abuse them.

"Children daily are being sexually solicited by predators who are preying on their innocence. My office has zero tolerance for sexual predators, as these takedowns demonstrate, and will seek punishment to the full extent of the law."

Van Bokkelen praised the extensive cooperative efforts by all the agencies and law enforcement departments.

Participating law enforcement agencies were Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Agency; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Hammond Police Department; Highland Police Department; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division; Indiana State Police; Lafayette Police Department; Lakeville Police Department; Miami County Sheriff's Department; Michigan City Police Department; Mishawaka Police Department; Noblesville Police Department; North Liberty Police Department; Portage Police Department; Porter County Sheriff's Department; Porter County Prosecutor's Office; Purdue University Police Department; South Bend Police Department; St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office; St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department; Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department; Tippecanoe County Prosecutor's Office; United States Marshals Service; United States Postal Inspection Service; United States Secret Service; Valparaiso Police Department; Valparaiso University Police Department; and the West Lafayette Police Department.

This operation also was the result of extensive work by numerous employees in the United States Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Benson and Lesley Miller Lowery organized the operation. Van Bokkelen thanked his staff for their tireless efforts in this operation.

The specific sentence to be imposed upon conviction in each case will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that a complaint is merely an allegation and that all people charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

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