NEW WATERFORD Chief calls Net sting arrest his most gratifying

Police in small departments can make a difference, the chief said.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
NEW WATERFORD -- For Chief Dan Haueter, the recent arrest of a Kentucky man on charges of soliciting sex from minors hit close to home.
"This arrest was one of the most gratifying of my career, so I hope it sticks," Haueter said. "This is a small town, and this guy came right to us. This isn't just another arrest. This is my back yard. I have a daughter, and she enjoys surfing the Internet and visiting teen chat rooms. So to hopefully put even one of these guys out of circulation means a lot."
The man's arrest in New Waterford by Haueter and officers of the Columbiana County Sheriff's Department and drug task force concluded an Internet sting operation by Haueter.
The suspect, Michael Black, 54, of Taylorsville, Ky., made an eight-hour, nearly 400-mile drive to New Waterford to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old New Waterford girl.
During the sting, Haueter gave the man a fictitious address in New Waterford and told him to bring a teddy bear. The man talked of having sex and looking at pornography on the Internet. When he arrived in New Waterford, he drove to the fictitious address and had a digital camera, a laptop computer and a teddy bear.
Can happen anywhere
Haueter said the case is proof that Internet crime can occur anywhere and that it is possible for police in small departments to make a difference.
He said he began to explore the idea of operating Internet stings about two years ago when some parents said they were worried about their kids spending a lot of time in Internet chat rooms.
He did a lot of research and talked to other departments. One was the Xenia Police Department, where officers made a high-profile arrest of a popular radio personality.
"Some of the big departments have computer task forces, and going after guys on the Internet is all they do," he said. "I didn't see any reason why I couldn't do it, too.
"To operate a sting right is mentally draining because you have to constantly be thinking about who you are supposed to be and what you should say," Haueter said. "They know they are taking a risk, that they could get caught, but these guys will travel anywhere if they think the trip will end with sex."
First to arrange meeting
Haueter said he has tried stings several times in the past few years, but none of the other men went so far as to arrange a meeting.
He said the Kentucky man lied about his age, but he did not portray himself as a teenager. He asked his Internet contact, who he thought was a 15-year-old girl, if she liked older men.
The key for Haueter to continue the sting came when the man said he had been with a 15-year-old girl in Illinois the weekend before. Police are now investigating that case.
Haueter said parents should be aware that sexual predators seek out teenagers and preteens in chat rooms. Many prey on girls, but some seek out boys, too.
Haueter said the best defense parents have is good communication with their children. Know who their friends are, what they are doing and who they are with. Limit Internet time and don't let them use computers behind closed doors.
Ignore the risks
"It's amazing to me that these guys have so much at stake and that they know they could get caught, and they still do it," he said.
"Make no mistake. This can happen anywhere. These guys are from all walks of life. They have good jobs. They have families.
"I always ask them, 'Can't you get in trouble for this?' and they admit that they never know when they could be talking to a cop," Haueter said. "These guys are in the chat rooms all the time. Unfortunately, they aren't hard to find.
"They start a conversation, and they'll talk about school and music -- all the things the kids can relate to. Then it doesn't take very long for them to tell what they really want."
tullis@vindy.com