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INTERNET TASK FORCE ARRESTS 3 PEOPLE IN ONE NIGHT
With three arrests, the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force nearly tied the national record for arresting Internet predators in a single night. The Utah ICAC Task Force set the record by arresting four people in one night last June.
Three men were taken into custody last Tuesday night after they initiated online conversations and allegedly enticed children to have sex. The suspects include a 19-year-old Salt Lake City man, a 45-year-old South Salt Lake man and a 24-year-old Salt Lake City man. Another man was questioned that same night and is still under investigation.
"Three arrests in one night doesn't mean it's time to rest. On the contrary, this is just one more reminder why we have to continue doing everything possible to stop the growing number of Internet predators," said Lt. Ken Hansen, director of the Utah ICAC Task Force.
Investigators will be working with prosecutors to decide on charges against the three men arrested last Tuesday.
"Utah's investigators and prosecutors continue to set the standard for the entire nation on how to catch and prosecute predators who use the Internet to hurt children," said Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.
Since it started three years ago this week, Utah's ICAC has accumulated an impressive record:
- More than 360 investigations
- More than 120 arrests
- 72 convictions with a 100 percent conviction rate
The multi-jurisdictional task force includes agents from the Attorney General's Office, FBI Innocent Images Unit, Salt Lake City Police Department, Utah Department of Corrections, Utah Department of Public Safety, the Utah Adult Probation and Parole Office and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
"The problem is too big for any single agency to try and handle on its own. The Utah ICAC is successful because many professionals are working together to stop an insidious crime," said James H. "Chip" Burrus, FBI Special Agent in Charge, Salt Lake City.
The Utah ICAC Task Force received the FBI Director's Award for Excellence on August 15, 2002 for bringing different agencies together to combat crimes against children and Internet child pornography.
Parents and educators can find more information about ways to protect their children on the Internet at The Attorney General ICAC Web site.
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