BENSALEM, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and Bensalem police said they have caught more than a dozen men for crimes against children this year through their participation in the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Forty-nine men in three years have been arrested in Bucks County. Detectives have attempted to prevent child abuse before it happens by working with the ICAC. Officials on Tuesday said 17 arrests were made this year.
“We know, sadly, the predators are walking among us, and it takes efforts like this. Look at these resources, and this is just a fraction of the people doing the work, and this is what we produce,” said Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn. “The recidivism rate is through the roof, so we have to have proactive measures taken every day to combat it.”
William McVey, Bensalem public safety director, said tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to the arrests of six men for possession or dissemination of child sexual abuse material.
“The other 11 that we have here were all the result of Detective Ryan Kolb and our Detective Division proactively engaging with these individuals online and seeing where it leads,” said McVey.
He said six men traveled to Bensalem hoping to meet a child but were instead arrested.
“The fact that they were met by law enforcement is what we want, right?” he said. “No child was ever in danger because of these efforts, and hopefully they won't be in danger for years because they'll be behind bars.”
McVey also urged parents to stay vigilant. Bensalem police suggested parents track their children’s use of dating and chat apps.
“We implore parents to monitor their child's online activity,” said McVey. “Speak to them about these hidden dangers.”
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that 17 men have been charged, not convicted.