Five area men were among the first 100 people arrested by a state task force, authorities said Wednesday, touting the success of a 2004 law against criminal solicitation of a minor.
Seventy-five officers from 37 state agencies in the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force made the bulk of the arrests starting in mid-2006, using computers and Internet personas to lure child predator suspects directly to waiting investigators, authorities said.
"Adults are constantly on the Internet seeking to harm our children," said S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster in a news release. "No matter how many perverts are caught in our sting operations, we are confident that there are scores of children hurt that we never know anything about."
The Myrtle Beach Police Department assigned two officers to the task force late last year, becoming the first in the area to join, said Investigator Joey Crosby, who oversees the department's task-force activities.
"It's a new tool," Crosby said. "We saw a growing concern about this type of activity on the Internet."
Officer Milton Adams has already attended the state's specialized training and is working on cases, and Investigator Diane Pieterse is assisting Adams while she awaits the training. Only one arrest on the state list is attributed to the Myrtle Beach police, but Crosby said his officers have participated in investigations that have led to arrests by other departments.
"We're constantly communicating back and forth," Crosby said. "We have more eyes and ears available seeing things than just one person."
Two of the local cases have already ended with jail time for the defendants, according to information released by the state attorney general's office. They are:
Michael Reusswig, 28, of Myrtle Beach, who used the screen name "mpreusswig," was arrested Feb. 15 by the Charleston Police Department on charges that he solicited sex from a girl he believed to be 13, then traveled to meet her. He has been sentenced to 18 months on the solicitation charge, but his sentencing is pending on a charge of attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Paul D. Johnson, 35, of Georgetown, used the screen name "jr2rock120002000" and solicited sex from two different screen names claiming to be underage. After his arrest in June 2006 on four solicitation charges by the Charleston Police Department, the National Guardsman was sentenced to 18 months in jail, followed by five years' probation.
Three other area men have been arrested in the stings, but their cases are pending:
Edward J. Wiener, 41, of Myrtle Beach, used the name "jerseyboy21565" and was arrested in April by the Richland County Sheriff's Office on one charge of solicitation, on the accusation that he solicited sex from a 13-year-old persona.
Timothy Boiter, 51, of Myrtle Beach, used the screen name "tim7355" to solicit sex from a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl, and performed sexual acts on a webcam several times, officials said. He was arrested April 26 on four counts of solicitation by the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office.
Jeremy V. Bibbee, 28, of North Myrtle Beach, used the screen name "dramatichyperworm" and solicited sex from what he believed to be a 12-year-old girl, officials said. The Myrtle Beach Police Department arrested him Oct. 2 on one count of solicitation and one count of disseminating harmful material to a minor, which also carries up to 10 years.
Five suspects from the Grand Strand do not represent an inordinate amount, said Mark Plowden, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, pointing out that some were from other states or even overseas.
"There's no rhyme or reason to it," Plowden said. "Our office's firm belief is that these predators are in every county, every town and every state. There's absolutely no limit, and that's thanks to the Internet."
In addition to the Internet stings, the task force grants also provide for an education component, allowing police officers to teach children about the dangers of the Internet.
Label: Myrtle Beach Sun News
