‘Operation Home Alone’ nets over a dozen child predators: authorities
TRENTON, NJ – Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo today announced arrests of 16 alleged child predators in “Operation Home Alone,” a multi-agency undercover operation targeting men who allegedly were using social media in an attempt to lure underage girls and boys for sexual activity. The defendants will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
The underage “children” were, in fact, undercover officers. Most of the defendants were arrested when they arrived at a residence in Bergen County, where they allegedly expected to find their victim home alone. Instead, they found law enforcement officers prepared to arrest them and process any evidence seized. Those arrested include a Ridgewood police officer, a Bronx, N.Y., high school teacher, drivers for two rideshare companies, a minister, a finance lead for an internet service provider, a bank branch office manager, a barbershop owner, a dental hygienist, two takeout food deliverymen, and others.
In past cases, the ICAC Task Force has made arrests of alleged child predators who used the following chat apps: Kik, Skout, Grindr, Whisper, Omegle, Tinder, Chat Avenue, Chat Roulette, Wishbone, Live.ly, Musical.ly, Paltalk, Yubo, Hot or Not, Down, and Tumblr. Arrests also have been made involving the gaming apps Fortnite, Minecraft, and Discord. Attorney General Grewal urged parents to familiarize themselves with these apps and warn their children about sharing information with strangers.
The defendant who is a police officer, Peter Tuchol Jr., was placed under arrest on April 15 at the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office—Paramus. Thirteen other defendants were arrested at the undercover residence in Bergen County. One defendant was arrested at a shopping mall, and the remaining defendant was arrested at his own residence. Those who went to the undercover residence allegedly expected to find their victims home alone. Instead, they were arrested upon arrival, sometimes by teams that included the very officer who portrayed the child they targeted for sex.
https://breaking911.com/operation-home-alone-nets-over-a-dozen-child-predators-authorities/