Behind the scenes of Operation Vanguard

Editor’s note: The Shawano Leader was allowed behind-the-scenes access to Shawano County’s participation in Operation Vanguard. This is the second of three articles on the sting. On Friday, we will take a broader look at the dangers facing juveniles on the Internet.

It’s just after noon on Saturday as Shawano County Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Gordon Kowaleski settles into a seat in front of two computer monitors in a meeting room at the Brown County Sheriff’s Department.

He is joining investigators from other northeast Wisconsin law enforcement agencies — all stationed at computers of their own — for day three of Operation Vanguard. The Internet sting operation is being spearheaded by Brown County authorities.

Shawano County Detective Chris Gamm and Deputy Jesse Sperberg were also part of the operation targeting potential child sex predators that had already led to a number of arrests during its first two days.

The investigators start by posting ads in the casual encounters section of Craigslist.

At 12:30 p.m., Kowaleski posts two ads, one ostensibly placed by a 15-year-old boy and the other by a 15-year-old girl.

“Lonely in Shawano — tired of winter, being stuck at home, looking for some fun. Must be clean, discreet and for real. Message me to get something going.”

It doesn’t take long for dozens of email responses to start coming in.

“I could have had 12 people working and we would not be able to work all these targets,” Kowaleski said.

Kowaleski responds to the emails as they come in, identifying himself as a female named Cathy. (The name Kowaleski actually used has been changed here to keep the profile confidential for future operations.)

Several exchanges are started, but most immediately cut off contact after Cathy tells them she’s 15. Some tell her she’s too young and shouldn’t be doing this. A few even tell her they’re calling the cops.

The original ad is flagged by one of those contacts and Craigslist takes it down, but it’s posted long enough to make contact with a man who is interested in hooking up.

At 1:09 p.m., Kowaleski begins exchanging texts with the man using a special computer program that simulates a cell phone. The program generates a real but unused phone number from the 715 area code.

The man tells Cathy he’s from Menasha and offers to come to her home. He asks her if she likes having sex, though in much more graphic words, and sends her a photo of his genitalia.

The man asks how old she is, and Cathy tells him she is 15 but turning 16 this summer.

This time, the exchange doesn’t end, and the sex talk continues.

“That’s all we’ve been talking about — everything he’s going to do to me or have me do to him,” Kowaleski said.

The man offers to come to her house and Cathy gives him directions to an address in the town of Wescott.

The meeting is arranged for 7 p.m.

Cathy says her mother will be gone by then to her bar tending job. She asks if he’s bringing anything to drink because “mom keeps the booze locked up, LOL.”

By this time, authorities using the man’s cell phone number have identified him as James J. Kettleson, 50, of Menasha.

At 4 p.m. an arrest team is assigned, which will include Gamm and others who are on duty that night — Shawano County Sheriff’s Detective Rich Wright, Lt. Andy Thorpe, Deputy Annalise Sharpless and Stockbridge-Munsee Police Detective Adam Hoffman.

If the suspect tries to phone Cathy, Sharpless will take the call.

Shortly after 5 p.m., Kowaleski leaves for his office at the Sheriff’s Department in Shawano, where he continues the text messages.

At about 5:30 p.m., the man tells Cathy he is going in to take a shower and is leaving after that. He says it should take 50 minutes to get there.

At 6 p.m., Gamm arrives at the location and sets up surveillance.

“Sometimes they come early to scope the place out,” Kowaleski explains.

Gamm, Thorpe and Hoffman park their unmarked squads at locations where they can view the entire street and move quickly to bottle up the suspect if necessary. By this time, they know there is a silver 2004 Chevy Suburban registered in Kettleson’s name that he will probably be driving.

The goal is to take him into custody as soon as possible once he is out of the car.

Shortly after 6 p.m., Kowaleski passes off his end of the text exchange to Brown County Sheriff’s Lt. Jim Valley, who continues the conversation from Green Bay. Kowaleski, Wright and Sharpless arrive at the house and wait inside.

At 7 p.m., they’re still waiting.

“It shouldn’t take this long for him to get here,” Kowaleski says.

Kowaleski had a no-show the previous night.

“Whether he got scared off or thought he was playing games with me, which is the way it sounded toward the end, or for whatever reason, he was a no-show,” Kowaleski said. “Not everyone we text with shows up.”

At 7:20 p.m., Gamm spots a silver Chevy Suburban that turns down the street and reports that to Kowaleski.

Wright crouches by the front door in a position to grab the suspect when he walks in. He has been told by Cathy that the front door will be unlocked and he can let himself in.

He and Kowaleski discuss whether the squads should be called in as soon as he pulls into the driveway, but there are concerns it could end up in a foot chase.

The Suburban passes by the house, goes to the end of the street and turns around. It passes again, the suspect apparently uncertain which house he’s supposed to go to.

The man texts Cathy, asking her to come outside and wave him in.

Kowaleski, on the cell phone with Valley, tells him to text Kettleson. “Tell him I’m upstairs in the bathroom and the upstairs light is on.”

The vehicle passes the house again and continues circling the area for more than five minutes.

Finally, Kowaleski radios Gamm and Thorpe to take him in a traffic stop.

Moments later, Kettleson is in custody, surrendering without incident. His cell phone and a GPS unit are taken into evidence.

It is the last of 19 arrests made as part of Operation Vanguard.

On Monday, Kettleson is charged with using a computer to facilitate a sex crime, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.