Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Five men arrested for soliciting child sex
Suspects used social media to contact undercover officer posing as 14-year-old
NORRISTOWN >> Authorities announced the arrest of five men who allegedly attempted to use social media platforms to contact minor children to have sexual relations with the children.
The five suspects facing felony charges are Onesimo Rodriguez Campos, 27, of Norristown; David G. Kohlmeier, 46, of Devon; Allan R. Lattanzi, 57, of Lower Providence; Kenneth Sugalski, 49, of Conshohocken; and Ashish Verma, 37, of Norristown.
The arrests were announced Thursday by Montgomery
County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele, Conshohocken Borough Police Chief George Metz, Upper Providence Township Police Chief U. Mark Freeman, Abington Township Police Chief Patrick Molloy, Lansdale Police Chief Michael B. Trail, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker and the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Since the beginning of 2018, ICAC-affiliated detectives from law enforcement agencies along with members of the Montgomery County Detective Bureau joined forces in a proactive effort to safeguard children by identifying and arresting individuals who use various social media platforms to contact and then arrange to meet to have sexual relations with children.
An undercover operation took place last week on multiple social media platforms. During this operation, each of the five defendants separately engaged in extensive online and text communications with undercover detectives posing as a 14-year-old girl or a 14-year-old boy. They engaged in sexually explicit electronic communications with a person they believed was a minor child, and some of them also sent sexually explicit photos to the purported 14-yearold. Each of the five defendants then appeared at an agreed-upon meeting location in Conshohocken with the intent of having sexual relations with the minor child.
Campos was arrested on Sept. 15 and charged with felony contact with a minor — sexual offense, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, attempted statutory sexual assault and criminal use of a communications facility as well as related misdemeanor charges. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Deborah A. Lukens, who set bail at $50,000 cash. During a bail review hearing on Sept. 16, Court of Common Pleas Judge Garrett D. Page reduced bail to $50,000 unsecured, and the defendant was released. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11:15 a.m., Sept. 28 before Judge Lukens.
Kohlmeier was arrested on Sept. 16, and charged with felony contact with a minor — sexual offense, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, attempted statutory sexual assault, attempted aggravated indecent assault and criminal use of a communications facility as well as related misdemeanor charges. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Harry J. Nesbitt III, who set bail at $99,000 cash. During a bail review hearing on Sept. 19, Court of Common Pleas Judge Henry S. Hilles III reduced bail to $99,000 10 percent, and the defendant posted bail and was released. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 28 before Judge Lukens.
Lattanzi was arrested on Sept. 15 and charged with felony contact with a minor — sexual offense, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, attempted statutory sexual assault, attempted aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors and criminal use of a communications facility as well as related misdemeanor charges. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Katherine McGill, who set bail at $50,000 cash. During a bail review hearing on Sept. 16, Court of Common Pleas Judge Page reduced bail to $5,000 cash, and the defendant posted bail and was released. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Sept. 28, before Judge Lukens.
Sugalski was arrested on Sept. 16 and charged with felony contact with a minor — sexual offense, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, attempted statutory sexual assault and criminal use of a communications facility as well as related misdemeanor charges. He was arraigned before Judge Nesbitt, who set bail at $99,000 cash. During a bail review hearing on Sept. 19, Court of Common Pleas Judge Hilles reduced bail to $99,000 10 percent. The defendant was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 28, before Judge Lukens.
Verma was arrested on Sept. 16 and charged with felony contact with a minor — sexual offense, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, attempted statutory sexual assault and criminal use of a communications facility as well as related misdemeanor charges. He was arraigned before Judge Nesbitt, who set bail at $99,000 cash. He posted bail and was released. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 28 before Judge Lukens.
The cases will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys with the Family Protection Unit.