Undercover Internet Investigations Yield Arrests

Dated Press Release
NOTICE: This press release was released 1,054 days ago!
(Release Date: Mar-23-2007)

Over the past nine months, detectives with the Fort Collins police Major Crimes Unit have been conducting undercover internet investigations. To date, these investigations have resulted in a total of eleven arrests. Since mid-March, detectives have filed charges on seven suspects after two weeks of undercover investigations on the internet. During the operation, undercover detectives went online and visited various chat rooms, posing as underage boys and girls. Some of their conversations were sexually explicit and in one case the suspect met an undercover detective posing as a juvenile female.

This emphasis began in July 2006, in Fort Collins after police investigated a citizen’s complaint of inappropriate computer e-mails being delivered to a child in Fort Collins. A Fort Collins police detective assumed the online identity of the child and continued conversing with the suspect, Jeffery Bandach (D.O.B. 9-24-63). Through e-mail, Bandach arranged to meet the child near her home. He instead met police detectives and was arrested. In January 2006, Bandach pled guilty to Internet sexual exploitation of a child and Child abuse and was sentenced to 20 months in jail and 20 years of sex offender probation.

Since that time, Fort Collins police have acquired computer equipment and received specialized training enabling detectives to conduct undercover investigations online. Fort Collins police have also joined the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force which allows access to federal government funding for training and equipment. Several detectives now have undercover identities and regularly conduct online investigations.

"Predators should know that any day of the week the child they believe they are having a sexually explicit conversation with could actually be a police detective in Fort Collins," said Craig Horton, a sergeant in the unit.

As a result of these efforts, the following people have been charged with the crimes noted. Press Releases and media information have been previously released on several of these suspects. This list recaps the arrest since the investigations began nine months ago.

Jeffery Bandach D.O.B. 9-24-63 Resident: Fort Collins, CO Screen name "jimmywil75@aim.com" Date of offense: June/July 2006 Date and location of arrest: July 17, 2006, Fort Collins, CO Booking photo: Attached Conviction: ● Internet sexual exploitation of a child ● Child abuse

Stacy Kroner
D.O.B. 10-24-88
Resident: Centennial, CO
Screen name “daman43002002”
Date of offense: October/November 2006
Date and location of arrest: November 13, 2006, Centennial, CO
Booking photo: Arapahoe County Detention Center
Charges:
● Internet sexual exploitation of a child (2 counts)
● Internet luring of a child (2 counts)

Scott Cortelyou
D.O.B. 01-05-54
Resident: Conifer, CO
Screen name "sixcar982000"
Date of offense: August 2006 – January 2007
Date and location of arrest: January 23, 2007, Lakewood, CO
Booking photo: Jefferson County Detention Center
Charges:
● Internet sexual exploitation of a child
● Internet luring of a child

Richard Harl*
D.O.B. 07-17-68
Resident: Aurora, CO
Screen name “rdharl”
Date of offense: October 2006 – January 2007
Date and location of arrest: January 22, 2007, Denver, CO
Booking photo: Jefferson County Detention Center
Charges:
● Internet sexual exploitation of a child (3 counts)
● Internet luring of a child (3 counts)
*Registered sex offender

James Leroy Hatton
D.O.B. 07-10-60
Screen name “bigtruckbigred”
Resident: Greeley, CO
Date of offense: October/November 2006
Date and location of arrest: March 6, 2007, Greeley, CO
Booking photo: Weld County Detention Center
Charges:
● Internet sexual exploitation of a child (2 counts)

Wai Yip Ngai D.O.B. 02-20-79 Screen name “garyn79” Resident: Fort Collins, CO Date of offense: February – March 2007 Date and location of arrest: March 15, 2007, Fort Collins, CO Booking photo: Attached Charges ● Internet luring of a child ● Attempted sexual assault of a child

Michael Luckey
D.O.B. 9-23-81
Screen name “luck4210”
Resident: Fort Carson, CO
Date of offense: March 15 and 16, 2007
Date and location of arrest: March 21, 2007, Fort Carson, CO
Booking photo: El Paso County Criminal Justice Center
Charges
● Internet sexual exploitation of a child (2 counts)
● Internet luring of a child (1 count)

Troy Elwood Fanning D.O.B. 11-21-77 Screen name “tfanman29” Resident: Loveland, CO Date of offense: February 23, 2007 Date and location of arrest: March 22, 2007, Loveland, CO Booking photo: Attached Charges ● Internet sexual exploitation of a child

Travis Mese
D.O.B. 11-3-83
Screen name “chevyguy42023”
Resident: Fort Morgan, CO
Date of offense: March 14, 2007
Date and location of arrest: March 20, 2007, Fort Morgan, CO
Booking photo: Morgan County Detention Center
Charges
● Internet sexual exploitation of a child
● Internet luring of a child

Billy Gilmore
D.O.B. 6-25-60
Screen name “jomanjiman”
Resident: Thornton, CO
Date of offense: February 23, 2007
Date and location of arrest: March 21, 2007, Thornton, CO
Booking photo: Jefferson County Detention Center
Charges
● Internet sexual exploitation of a child (2 counts)
● Internet luring of a child (2 counts)

John Walter Meyer
D.O.B. 8-15-70
Screen name “a111fyg667”
Resident: Thornton, CO
Date of offense: March 13, 2007
Date and location of arrest: March 21, 2007, Thornton, CO
Booking photo: Adams County Detention Center
Charges
● Internet sexual exploitation of a child (2 counts)
● Internet luring of a child (2 counts)

On-line computer exploration opens a world of possibilities for children, yet at the same time it can leave them vulnerable to exploitation and harm from on-line predators. Fort Collins police urge parents to take the following steps to help minimize the chances of your child becoming a victim to on-line predators.

● Communicate. Talk to your child about sexual victimization and the potential of on-line dangers.
● Spend time with your children on-line.
● Establish rules for on-line use including blogging, instant messaging and chat rooms.
● Keep Internet-connected computers in an open area.
● Consider using parental monitoring and/or blocking software.
● Use logging features and parent controls.

Additional parental tips for keeping your child safe on the internet may be found at www.fcgov.com/police/internet-safety.php .

Fort Collins Police will be offering community training on internet safety in the near future. To participate in the training, contact Sgt. Don Whitson at 970-221-6543.