HARRISBURG — Attorney General Tom Corbett announced two recent arrests by agents from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit involving western Pennsylvania men accused of using the Internet to sexually proposition what they believed were young girls, or sending explicit and nude photos to the girls. The “girls” were actually undercover agents from the Child Predator Unit.
Corbett identified the defendants as Peter D. Abromovich, 44, Cherry Tree, Indiana County, and Steve Kempski, 35, Brookville, Jefferson County.
Corbett said that Abromovich and Kempski are both accused of using Internet chat rooms to sexually proposition what they believed were 13-year old girls. Abromovich is also accused of sending a number of nude photos or sexually graphic videos to an undercover agent who was using the online profile of a child.
Corbett noted that the Child Predator Unit has arrested 145 Internet predators since it was created in January 2005, including 29 arrests since the start of this year.
Peter D. Abromovich
Corbett said that Abromovich, using the screen name “pete19suzuki,” initially contacted an undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit on March 3, 2008, asking the “girl” if he could exchange photos and webcam videos with her.
According to the criminal complaint, Abromovich approached the girl again the following day, asking for “sexy” pictures of the girl and sending her a link to his webcam. During that webcam transmission, Abromovich allegedly walked in front of his computer wearing only his underwear – asking her, “have you seen anybody in their underwear before,” and, “have you seen anybody nude?”
Corbett said that Abromovich asked the girl to keep their messages confidential and instructed her how to delete the tran scri pts of their online chats. He also allegedly sent her a nude webcam transmission, urging her not to tell anyone about their conversations because they would “both be in big trouble.”
According to the criminal charges, Abromovich sent a total of eight sexually explicit videos or photos to the girl and also instructed her to masturbate.
Abromovich was arrested at his home on May 9, 2008, by agents from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit, assisted by Pennsylvania State Police.
Abromovich is charged with eight counts each of unlawful contact with a minor, criminal attempted unlawful contact with a minor and criminal use of a computer. Each of those charges is a third-degree felony punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
Abromovich was preliminarily arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Michael Zungali, who set bail at $70,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 23, 2008.
Steve Kempski
Corbett said that Kempski, using the screen name “stevedwog,” allegedly used an instant message chat room to approach an undercover agent from the child predator unit in January 2008. At that time, the agent was using the online profile of a 13-year old girl.
According to the criminal complaint, Kempski almost immediately began asking the girl a series of detailed questions about her sexual activity, at one point asking her, “so r u looking for a guy to have sex with, or what?”
Corbett said that in February 2008, Kempski allegedly approached another online profile being used by an undercover agent – also a 13-year old “girl.” Once again, Kempski allegedly began a sexually graphic conversation within minutes of the initial contact, asking the girl if she was interested in meeting and adding, “I’d rather see the person naked, than see a pic.”
According to the criminal complaint, Kempski told the girl he had a swimming pool and suggested that she swim nude with him. He also allegedly asked the girl to meet him for sex and requested that she send him a pair of her underwear, provided a post office box address in Brookville as the delivery address.
Corbett said that Kempski was located by agents and police in Carlisle, Cumberland County, and arrested on May 16, 2008. Following his arrest, Kempski was returned to Jefferson County to face criminal charges.
Kempski is charged with two counts of unlawful contact with a minor and two counts of criminal use of a computer, all third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.
Kempski was preliminarily arraigned before Brookville Magisterial District Judge Richard Beck, who set bail at $50,000 cash. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2008.
Corbett said that Abromovich will be prosecuted in Indiana County and Kempski will be prosecuted in Jefferson County, both by Deputy Attorney General William F. Caye II, of the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit.
Corbett thanked Pennsylvania State Police from Indiana, Jefferson and Cumberland counties, along with the Carlisle and Brookville Police Departments, for their cooperation and assistance with these investigations.
Summer Danger – “Operation Summer Surf”
Earlier this month, Corbett was joined by representatives from the Pennsylvania Parent Teacher Association, the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and the Pennsylvania Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals, to launch “Operation Summer Surf” – reminding parents and teens across Pennsylvania to regularly discuss online safety and remain vigilant this summer.
Corbett said that that there was a notable increase in the number of Internet predators arrested by the Attorney General’s Office last summer – a total of 17 arrests between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2007, including men who traveled from as far away as Kentucky in order to have sexual contact with children. Corbett said the number of arrests in the summer of 2007 was nearly double the number of arrests from the previous summer.
Corbett added that undercover agents have reported an increase in the number of Internet predators questioning children about their summer vacation plans, or asking them about times where they may be home alone, as part of discussions about meeting the children or sending them sexually graphic videos.
Operation Summer Surf is an expansion of the Attorney General’s popular “Operation Safe Surf” Internet safety education program, which was created in October 2006 and has now reached nearly 140,000 children and adults from across the state.
Corbett said that today’s teens have grown up with the Internet and have never known a world without it, making “surfing” a part of their life that they often take for granted. Operation Summer Surf emphasizes that the same rules of Internet safety apply not just to September through June, but throughout the summer months as well.
“Predators will always be drawn to locations that give them the greatest access to the largest number of potential victims,” Corbett said. “Today, they stalk a variety of online sites, including chat rooms; social networking websites like MySpace and Facebook; Internet message boards; video game sites; and even online classified ads on Craigslist.com.”
Corbett noted that the techniques used by Internet predators change rapidly, spurred by developments in communication technology and changes in where and how children communicate online. He added that predators will communicate with children in many different ways, using public or private online chat rooms, instant message programs, text messages, email, cell phones and webcams.
“It is essential for parents to understand how quickly online conversations can progress from initial contact to sexually explicit content,” Corbett said. “Often, predators will begin a sexually graphic discussion within minutes of contacting a child, and many suspects transmit nude photos or explicit videos during their first online meeting.”
Corbett encouraged parents to discuss Internet safety with their children, including the danger of meeting strangers who approach them online. He also advised that parents ask their children to show them what they are doing online, setting ground rules for summer online communication to help kids use the Internet safely and in a responsible manner.
Operation Safe Surf and Operation Summer Surf materials are provided free-of-charge to schools and community groups. Organizations interested in materials, speakers or presentations, contact the Attorney General’s Education and Outreach Office at 1-800-525-7642 or via email at education@attorneygeneral.gov.
Suspected internet predators can be reported to the Attorney General’s Office by calling the toll-free Child Predator Hotline, at 1-800-385-1044, or filing an online complaint using the Attorney General’s Web site (Click on the “Report an Internet Predator” link, located on the front page of the website)
Internet safety tips and other information for parents, children and teachers are available in the “Operation Safe Surf” and “Just for Kids” sections of the Attorney General’s Web site (Click on the “Kids, Parents & Schools” link at the top of the front page).