Posted: October, 2010

Condado de Citrus, Florida Emboscada Policial de Sexo por Internet, Resultó en 22 Arrestos

Inverness, Florida - La oficina del alguacil del condado de Citrus, ha considerado exitosa la emboscada de crimen sexual, llevada a cabo la semana pasada, ya que resultó en el arresto de 22 individuos por presuntos crímenes sexuales por Internet. El operativo que presuntamente se inició a través de la página de Internet Craigslist, anunciaba “a una madre joven en busca de sujetos que le enseñaran a su hija adolescente como complacer a un hombre y a participar en situaciones familiares íntimas y placenteras.”

Los abogados defensores de crímenes sexuales de la firma Whittel & Melton, en la Florida, ya han iniciado la defensa de varios hombres en la corte de circuito en el condado de Citrus.

Este tipo de emboscadas se han hecho populares, con las autoridades locales, desde el inicio de la serie “Cazar al Predador” (To Catch a Predator) del programa Dateline de la cadena NBC; la cual grabó algunos de sus episodios en Fort Myers, Florida. En esa operación, 24 hombres fueron arrestados en un periodo de tres días.

Los tipos de crímenes que generalmente se otorgan en estos casos involucran el uso del Internet ya sea para solicitar o asegurar sexo con un menor, también conocido como Solicitación por Internet; o el viajar para tener sexo con un menor. Algunos de los casos también pueden involucrar la posesión o distribución de pornografía infantil – muchas veces, las autoridades participan en conversaciones por Internet o en las salas de Chat haciéndose pasar por un menor. Durante estas conversaciones, las autoridades intercambian material pornográfico para atraer al individuo al lugar donde se realizará la emboscada.

En estos casos recientes, el estado buscará, sin duda, condenas bajo el Acto de la Pornografía en Computadora y la Prevención de la Explotación al Menor en la Florida (Computer Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act). Como parte de esta emboscada, las autoridades del condado de Citrus también incautaron un arma de fuego, 26 teléfonos celulares, 19 computadoras personales, 4 cámaras e innumerables vehículos de motor. En este momento, no está claro que tanto de lo incautado permanecerá en la corte.

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Posted: October, 2010

Spring Hill man is punched, bitten by suspected car burglar

Last week, there were reports that a Spring Hill man was victim to a car burglary where allegedly, a fight with the perpetrator left him injured after sustaining punches and a bite wound.

As a result of the incident, Michael Leonard is charged with battery, burglary of conveyance and resisting an officer without violence.

The victim told deputies that Leonard punched him in the face and bit him while the two wrestled on the ground. The items allegedly stolen from the victim included a plastic cell phone clip, a plastic knob, iPod, sunglasses and a small amount of coins.
Deputies also learned Leonard was on probation for a misdemeanor DUI which, in addition to the penalties he could be subjected to for the felonies he is charged with, could add another year onto his sentence for a violation of DUI probation.

As a former state prosecutor, I always welcomed felonies that came with an accompanying violation of probation charge. When the basis of a violation of probation is a new charge, state attorneys only have to prove the underlying charge—in Leonard’s case the burglary and battery— to a preponderance of the evidence to succeed on the violation of probation (instead of the higher beyond a reasonable doubt standard in criminal trials), subjecting the defendant to jail or prison time.

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Posted: October, 2010

Citrus County, Florida Internet Sex Sting Operation Results in 22 Arrests

Inverness, Florida – The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office has deemed last week's sex crime sting to be a success, as it resulted the arrest of some 22 individuals for alleged Internet Sex Crimes. The operation, which allegedly started with an online Craigslist advertisement featuring “a young mother who was seeking subjects to teach her teenage daughter how to please a man and share in intimate family fun”.

The Florida Sex Crimes Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton have already begun defending several of these men in Circuit Court in Citrus County.

These types of sting operations have become popular with local law enforcement since the inception of the Dateline NBC's “To Catch a Predator” series which shot some of its episodes in Fort Myers, Florida. In that operation, 24 men were arrested in a three day period.

The types of crimes usually charged in these cases involve using the internet to solicit or secure sex with a minor, aka Internet Solicitation, or traveling to meet a minor for sex. Some of the cases may also involve the possession of or distribution of child pornography-- as many times, law enforcement will engage in online conversations, or chat in online chatrooms, posing as a minor. During these chats, law enforcement may exchange pornographic material to lure an individual to the physical location of the sting operation.

In these recent cases, the State will undoubtedly be seeking convictions under Florida’s Computer Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act. As a part of the sting operation, Citrus County authorities also seized one handgun, 26 cell phones, 19 personal computers, four cameras and countless motor vehicles. It is unclear at this point how many of these seizures will stick in court.

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