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http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/060420newyork.htm
April 20, 2006
ICE arrests 52 child predators in NYC operation
Among the arrested was a man who abused his 9-year-old granddaughter
NEW YORK, NY -- Fifty-two child predators were arrested today in the five boroughs by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and officers of the New York City Department of Probation.
All of the individuals arrested have been previously convicted of sex offenses including rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, attempted sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal sex act, course of sexual conduct against a child and sexual misconduct. The youngest of the victims was two years old. The oldest was 16.
Those arrested are from the following countries: China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Liberia, Mexico, Norway and Trinidad. Among the arrested today was:
A citizen of Haiti who was convicted of four counts of rape, five counts of sodomy, nine counts of sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child under a 114 count indictment. The abuse occurred over a four day period. The victim was a 12 year old girl. The subject was sentenced to five years probation.
A citizen of Guyana was charged with rape, sodomy and kidnapping. He was convicted of rape and was sentenced to four months incarceration and 10 years probation. The victim was 12 year old girl.
· A national of the Dominican Republic was charged with criminal sex acts, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. He was convicted of sexual abuse and sentenced to 10 years probation. The victim was nine years old. The subject was 60 years old and the grandfather of the victim.
A citizen of the Dominican Republic was charged with 13 counts of rape, six counts of sodomy and endangering the welfare of a child. The subject was convicted of rape and was sentenced to 10 years probation. The victim was 15 years old. The subject was the victim's tutor at an after-school tutoring center.
A national of Norway was charged with 12 counts of sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a child and course of sexual conduct against a child. He was convicted of sexual abuse and sentenced to six years probation. The victim was the subject's granddaughter and was six years old when the abuse began.
Non-citizen sex offenders are subject to administrative removal from the U.S. by ICE. ICE agents transported the criminal aliens to various detention facilities. All of those apprehended have been placed into removal proceedings. Those with final orders of removal will be deported from the country shortly. The others will have their cases heard before an immigration judge.
"When you think you have seen it all, you find that there are sex crimes even more heinous. As their convictions demonstrate, these predators are the worst of the worst. They prey on our children and they have forfeited their privilege to remain in this country,” said New York Special Agent-in-Charge Martin D. Ficke. "ICE is committed to public safety and we will continue to partner with the New York City Department of Probation and with other state and local law enforcement agencies to make our communities more secure and to protect our children."
"New York City Probation is pleased to work once again with ICE and Homeland Security to rid this city of 52 dangerous predators," said Martin F. Horn, New York City Probation Commissioner. All of the probationers taken into custody today have committed serious sex offenses. In nearly every case the victim was a child, in some cases as young as two years old. When the offenders rounded up this morning are deported, New York City will be a safer place.
ICE's Operation Predator protects children by investigating and presenting for prosecution pedophiles, Internet predators, human traffickers, international sex tourists and other predatory criminals. Since Operation Predator was launched on July 9, 2003, ICE agents have arrested nearly 7,000 predators and sex offenders nationwide. In the New York area, more than 500 predators and sex offenders have been arrested.
ICE has a toll-free number for the public to provide leads to its enforcement team on any violations, including tips about child pornography, child sex offenders and others preying on children. The toll-free number (1-866-DHS-2ICE) is monitored 24 hours a day by officers at the ICE Law Enforcement Support Center. For more information on Operation Predator, please visit the ICE website at www.ice.gov.
-- ICE --
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2369962
Terrorism Focus
"Syrian Jihadi Publication a Barometer of Decline"
By Stephen Ulph
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "On April 14, the 10th issue of the Minbar al-Sham al-Islami (Islamic Pulpit of Greater Syria) appeared on the internet forums. The biweekly magazine emerged from the internet publishing group Minbar Suriya al-Islami (Islamic Pulpit of Syria), which also produces the Risalat al-Mujahidee (Message of the Mujahideen) (Terrorism Focus, March 31, 2005). In step with the tendency of jihadi groups to repudiate nation-state terms, the magazine and the publishing group changed its name last January to Minbar al-Sham al-Islami (al-Sham being the traditional term for a geographic area that included present-day Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan). The appearance, and fate, of the publishing group gives an indication of the tightening conditions for the militant mujahideen in Syria. Since its maiden issue on July 15 last year, it is much reduced in size—the present newsletter amounts to only six pages down from an average 20—but retains even more importance in maintaining morale now that its sister jihadi website, http://www.nnuu.org , is closed down."