- HARRISBURG – Agents from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit have arrested an Allegheny County man accused of using the Internet to sexually proposition what he believed were several 13- and 14-year-old girls, along with sending nude or sexually explicit photos. The “girls” were actually undercover agents who were using the online profiles of young teens.
Acting Attorney General Bill Ryan identified the defendant as James William Radermacher, 48, 1044 Sarah St., Bridgeville. Radermacher is a former police officer and currently works as an investigator for an insurance company.
According to the criminal complaint, Radermacher used Internet chat rooms to approach and sexually proposition three different undercover agents from the Child Predator Unit.Â
Ryan said that during Radermacher’s initial online conversation with what he believed was a 14-year-old girl from central Pennsylvania, he allegedly sent several photos of himself, commenting, “that’s all the clean pics I have, lol. the others are naughty.” Later during the same electronic conversation, Radermacher allegedly sent three images of male genitalia.
According to the criminal complaint, within a matter of days, Radermacher approached another online profile belonging to an undercover agent – this one appearing as a 13-year-old girl. Once again, Radermacher is accused of transmitting several nude photos to the “child.”
Ryan said that a review of online communication involving the Child Predator Unit confirmed that Radermacher had allegedly approached four other undercover agents in a similar manner.
“The arrival of warmer weather often triggers changes in after-school activities and family schedules and Internet predators are hoping that more teens will be home alone for longer periods of time and may be spending more time online,” Ryan said.
“Many online predators will make sexual propositions or send graphic photos and webcam videos during their initial chats, and spring and summer typically bring an increase in the number of reports involving Internet predators.”
Ryan explained that last year, more than 60 percent of the arrests by the Child Predator Unit occurred during the spring and summer months, including men from every corner of Pennsylvania and from as far away as Ohio, Maryland, New York and California, all trying to use the Internet to sexually victimize children. To date, the Child Predator Unit has made 290 arrests and the unit has a 100 percent conviction rate.
Radermacher was arrested at his home on April 19 by agents from the Child Predator Unit, assisted by officers from the Bridgeville Police Department. Agents also executed a search warrant at Radermacher’s home, seizing several computers, cell phones and a digital camera, which will be analyzed by the Attorney General’s Computer Forensics Unit as part of an ongoing investigation.
Radermacher is charged with three counts of unlawful contact with a minor (related to obscene or sexual materials and performances) and one count 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.
Radermacher was preliminarily arraigned before Bridgeville Magisterial District Judge Maureen McGraw-Desmet, who set bail at $75,000.Â
Radermacher is also prohibited from using the Internet and may not have any unsupervised contact with minors.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, April 25.
Radermacher will be prosecuted in Allegheny County by Senior Deputy Attorney General William F. Caye II of the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit.
Ryan thanked the Bridgeville Police Department for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.
Internet Safety
Ryan urged parents to talk regularly with kids about being safe on the Internet and to stress the importance of telling a trusted adult if someone does something inappropriate online, including:
- Sexual discussions.
- Sending explicit photos or videos.
- Sending links to pornography.
- Trying to arrange face-to-face meetings.
Additionally, Ryan said parents and other caregivers should also monitor how kids are using the Internet, including:
- Checking the websites they use frequently.
- Searching the social networking sites they visit.
- Asking them to show you their online profiles on FaceBook, MySpace and other Web sites.
- Discussing the items they may be posting online.
Ryan also encouraged parents to stress the importance of not sharing personal information online, like full names, ages, addresses, phone numbers and school information, and added that children should always be especially cautious about strangers who approach them online.
Suspected internet predators can be reported to the Attorney General’s Office by clicking on the “Report a Predator” link located on the front page of the Attorney General’s Web site  or by calling the toll-free Child Predator Hotline at 1-800-385-1044.
