Tim Ryan tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
A Suring man on Monday became the fourth person arrested in Shawano County over the past several weeks for allegedly trying to arrange a sexual rendezvous with a child over the Internet.
Christopher K. Morley, 48, was taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies when he arrived at a pre-arranged location where he expected to be met by a 15-year-old girl, according to the criminal complaint.
Morley could face a maximum 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine if found guilty of using a computer to facilitate a sex crime. He was ordered held on a $10,000 cash bond after his initial court appearance Wednesday. He is scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance on Monday.
Sheriff’s detectives working as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force initially made contact with Morley on Oct. 7 when they responded to an ad on Craigslist titled, “Sugar Daddy needs sexy daughter.”
Over the course of the next several days, detectives posing as a 15-year-old girl exchanged texts and emails with Morley that eventually became sexually graphic, according to the complaint.
Text messages included in the complaint indicate Morley was aware of recent sting operations, but set up a rendezvous with the supposed child anyway.
When Morley arrived and was met by sheriff’s deputies he told them he was there only to meet a girl for coffee.
According to the complaint, authorities found a loaded Glock .45 pistol and a condom in his vehicle.
The incident brings to four the number of suspects arrested in the past 2½ weeks. Over the past three years, 19 individuals have been arrested in Shawano County and subsequently charged with similar offenses.
“Our investigations and proactive operations in this area make it clear to the Sheriff’s Office that there remains an ever present threat on the Internet that both respond to ads they believe to be posted by minors and that others are brazen enough to openly seek to engage in dialogue and what we consider the ‘grooming’ of children for personal satisfaction; regardless of the law or potential consequences,” Sheriff Adam Bieber said in a statement.
“Historically, Shawano County has seen very real cases of juveniles being enticed by adults and our goal (is) to send a clear message that the Sheriff’s Office will take preventative measures to detect and deter them,” Bieber said.