-->
Search the ArchivesNavigationContact InformationThe Citizen Newspapers For Advertising Information Email us your news! For technical difficulties |
GSU student arrested in Internet stingThu, 09/21/2006 - 12:18pm
By: John Munford
PTC police lauded by Gov. for protecting children A Georgia State University student was arrested by Peachtree City police Wednesday after he arranged a sexual encounter with a girl he thought was 15 years old, police said. Ryan Allen Castaneira, 27, of Atlanta also sent the “girl” an electronic photo of a nude male via Yahoo’s instant messenger network, according to warrants for his arrest. Castaneira was charged with violation of the computer pornography and child exploitation act of 1999, electronically furnishing obscene material to minors and driving with a suspended license, police said. When Castaneira showed up at the Kedron Village shopping center Wednesday, he expected to meet the 15-year-old girl, police said. This is the 17th such arrest recorded by the police department’s Internet Task Force since its inception. Castaneira is also a staff member at GSU and he is married, police said. An officer from the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) was also present during the arrest. The arrest comes on the heels of a press conference by Ga. Gov. Sonny Perdue a few days ago announcing that he is tripling the number of undercover state investigators handling such cases. At that conference, he credited the Peachtree City Police Department for its outstanding work in handling such cases. The state will have 12 agents as a result of the expansion, and the number of forensic computer specialists who collect evidence in these cases will double from five to 10, Perdue has said. By contrast, the Peachtree City Police Department has one officer who handles similar investigations on a part-time basis along with other duties. Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan said the new staffers will greatly enhance the agency’s capability. “The investigation of crimes against children is the top priority of the GBI,” Keenan said. login to post comments |