Jul 24, 2008 11:00 pm US/Eastern
Delaware County Trooper Arrested In Cyber-Sting
MEDIA, Pa. (CBS 3) ―
A Pennsylvania State Trooper was arrested in connection to an underage cyber-sex sting.
According to the D.A.'s office, Trooper Albert Silveri, III, of Aston, was arrested by the Delaware County Criminal Investigations Division, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and faces charges including Criminal Solicitation to Rape of a Child, among others.
The trooper had been soliciting sex over a four month period
from what he thought was a mother and her two children, aged 8 and ten.
Using
the screen name "StongWilled07," Silveri, made contact with the
mother in various chat rooms, unbeknownst to the trooper, the 'mother' was
actually an undercover investigator.
After months of emailing and cyber-chatting, the Delaware County
police apprehended Silveri in his Aston
Township apartment.
County officials seized the trooper service weapon and his
state issued laptop computer that had he had been using for his online rendezvous.
"It was certainly a sad day for the Pennsylvania State
Police given the allegations against Corporal Salveri," said Major Len
Bandy.
The news of the troopers arrest came as a shock to neighbors
who saw the servicemen as someone they could trust in the community.
"This is the kind of guy you'd want your kids, or
anybody, to go to for protection," said Wayne Carlen, a neighbor. "To
find out somebody's doing this, it's scary"
So scary in fact, that many in the area are now worried for
their own kids.
"I'm scared for my daughter knowing the fact that this
has happened in our neighborhood," said Lenore Brode.
According to state D.A.'s, the investigation is still
underway as several details about the case are unclear.
Corporal Silveri has been suspended without pay, held on $250,000 bail and
faces nine charges of criminal solicitation of children.
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