Jul 31, 2006 8:20 pm US/Central
Murphy Police Cracking Down On Child Predators
by Eileen Gonzales
MURPHY (CBS 11 News) ―
The small town of Murphy is having big success in cracking down on suspected child predators. A total of four arrests were made in a week's time.
Three people, including a doctor, were arrested as the result of an internet sting. One person was arrested during a traffic stop.
Police say Antonio Ramirez Martinez of Arlington had his pants pulled down and was exposed when his car was pulled over early Sunday morning.
Officials believe that the man had sexual contact with a 16-year-old boy that was in the passenger seat... a relationship that was initiated via the internet.
Martinez faces a charge of aggravated sexual assault.
Earlier that week an internet sting led to the arrests of three other suspected child predators.
Phillip Schlagel, 31, of Richardson, 61-year-old Dr. Ali Vagefi, a former UT Southwestern ophthalmologist, and 21-year-old Jose Antonio Guevara of Dallas, all face felony charges for online solicitation of a minor.
Police say each of the men believed they were meeting a 14-year-old girl they'd talked to in an internet chat room, but it was a setup by members of an online protection group working with police.
"Those people agreed to meet a child, a minor, here in Murphy, Texas, and when those people showed up they were in clear violation of the law they were arrested right then and there on the scene," said Sgt. Tim Dorsey, Murphy Police Department.
According to the Crimes Against Children Research Center, 1 in 5 children who regularly use the internet have received unwanted sexual solicitations.
Police say these latest arrests should serve as a wakeup call to parents.
"We encourage all parents to be fully aware of where their children are, what activities they're involved in, both off the internet as well as on the internet," Dorsey said.
(CBS 11 News)
