July 16, 2010

York County Internet predator arrested after traveling to Harrisburg to meet "child" for sex

HARRISBURG - Agents from the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit have arrested a York County man accused of using Internet chat rooms to sexually proposition what he believed was a 13-year old girl, as well as traveling to Harrisburg to meet the girl for sex.  The "girl" was actually an undercover agent from the Attorney General's Office who was using the online profile of a child.

Attorney General Tom Corbett identified the defendant as Joseph John Dougherty, 57, 7 North York St., Etters.

Corbett said that on June 30th Dougherty allegedly made contact with the undercover agent in an "under 15" Internet chat room, telling her "you look really hot" and asking her, "do you like older guys?" 

According to the criminal complaint, Dougherty told the girl that he had arranged meetings with others who he contacted online, traveling to motels to have sex.  Dougherty then explained that he was packing for a family vacation but allegedly proposed a meeting after he returned, commenting, "I would be happy to be alone with you," and later adding that they could go to bed, "like for sex."

Corbett said that on July 12th and 13th Dougherty allegedly engaged in another series of online chats with the undercover agent, stating that he had been thinking about the girl during his trip and describing in graphic detail the sex acts he wished to perform when they met.

 According to the criminal complaint, plans were initially made to meet in the Harrisburg area on July 14th, though that was later postponed until the following day.

 Dougherty was arrested at approximately 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 15th, when he arrived at the meeting location driving a pickup truck that he had described during online chats.  Agents from the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit were assisted by officers from the Swatara Township Police Department during the arrest.

 Additionally, agents executed a search warrant at Dougherty's home in York County, with the assistance of Newberry Township Police, seizing three computers and a webcam.  Those items will be analyzed by the Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit as part of an ongoing investigation.

 Dougherty is charged with one count of unlawful contact with a minor (related to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse) and one count of unlawful contact with a minor (related to aggravated indecent assault), both first-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and $25,000 fines.

 Dougherty is also charged with one count of criminal use of a computer, a third-degree felony punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

 Dougherty was preliminarily arraigned on July 15th before Harrisburg Magisterial District Judge Michael J. Smith, who set bail at $25,000.  Dougherty is also prohibited from using the Internet and may not have any unsupervised contact with minors.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 22nd, at 11 a.m., before Magisterial District Judge Smith.

The case will be prosecuted in Dauphin County by Deputy Attorney General Christopher Jones of the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit.

Corbett thanked the Swatara Township and Newberry Township police departments for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.

Summer Internet Safety
Corbett urged parents and children to take added steps to guard against online predators, especially during the summer months when more young teens are home alone or unsupervised for greater lengths of time.

"Summer typically triggers a jump in the number of incidents involving Internet predators, who have greater access to kids for longer periods during the day," Corbett said. "It is important for every parent to understand that electronic predators are a regular presence on the Internet and a very real threat to child safety."

Corbett said that many Internet predators will initiate sexual conversations or send nude photos or videos during their first online chats with children, and a large number will quickly suggest face-to-face meetings for sex.

"Online predators do not care how far they must travel if they find a vulnerable victim," Corbett said.  "Online safety and security should be a regular topic of discussion in every home, and we urge parents to emphasize that children should always tell a trusted adult if an online stranger says or does something inappropriate or sexual in nature."

Corbett stressed that parents should emphasize that kids should not share personal information online, like full names, ages, addresses, phone numbers and school information, and should be especially cautious about strangers who approach them online.

Corbett noted that the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit has arrested 266 online predators since it was created in January 2005, including residents from every corner of Pennsylvania along with individuals who traveled to Pennsylvania from as far away as Texas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey and Ohio, all hoping to sexually victimize children. To date, the Child Predator Unit has a 100% conviction rate.

Corbett recommended that parents and other caregivers should also monitor how kids are using the Internet, including:

• Checking the websites they use frequently.
• Searching the social networking sites they visit.
• Asking them to show you their online profiles on FaceBook, MySpace and other websites.
• Discussing the items they post online.

Corbett added that parents and kids also need to understand that safety concerns now extend beyond home computers.

"Many cell phones and game systems can be used to send and receive messages or photos and can also be used to access websites," Corbett said.  "The same safety rules need to be applied to all of these devices."

Suspected internet predators can be reported to the Attorney General's Office by clicking on the "Report a Predator" link, located on the front page of the Attorney General's website, at www.attorneygeneral.gov or by calling the toll-free Child Predator Hotline at
1-800-385-1044.

(A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.)

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