Headlines:
| Internet predator captured by the police |
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| Wednesday, 07 May 2008 | |
A man the police believe has been targeting young girls
over the Internet and demanding sex from them has been captured by the police.Fredrick Hart, 24, was arrested on Friday during a sting operation by members of the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse. He has been charged with abduction and child abuse. When he appeared in court on Wednesday he was remanded until next Wednesday when the case is again set for mention. But now Mr. Hart has drawn the attention of the Organised Crime Unit. Members of the Cyber section of the Unit are now downloading data from a laptop found in possession of Mr. Hart. The laptop reportedly contained pictures of several teenaged girls and cops are probing whether the pictures are linked to any missing teenager. It is reported that last week the accused made contact with his 17-year-old victim. The police said he called her cellular phone and told her he got her number from one of the chat-rooms set up by one of the country's major cellular companies. After she refused to talk to him, it is alleged that he sent her a text message suggesting he would edit her picture, which he found on the popular social website, Hi5, to make it appear as if she was performing sexual acts. He threatened to post the explicit sex acts on the Internet. The police said the bewildered teenager instead of informing her parents of the threat, met Mr. Hart at a plaza in Half-Way-Tree last Thursday. He allegedly repeated his threat and demanded sex from the girl. She reportedly promised to meet him the following day. However, she reported the matter to the police who set up a sting operation. Mr. Hart was nabbed on Friday at the meeting point which he had set up with the teenager. |