Out-of-state predators target ABQ kids

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A collaboration of Albuquerque police detectives and Homeland Security Investigations agents are tracking down child sex predators who could be looking for your kids even while they play Xbox.

The Sexual Predator and Exploitation Enforcement Detail, or the SPEED Unit, emerged in August. Detectives and agents working side by side are learning that some predators are willing to drive a long way to meet kids in Albuquerque. Many of them are using the internet to prey on children.

“It's kind of alarming to us that we've had so many individuals from so many walks of life that end up targeting kids,” APD Sgt. Jeff Peterson said.

Peterson said many of his arrests were from the Albuquerque area, like a CNM professor, a software engineer and a solider in the Army.

However, APD said it knew there were more out there crossing state lines to get to children here. That is where the SPEED unit comes in.

“The offender was actually in Texas,” Abar said.

Assistant special agent Kevin Abar said that suspect was planning on coming to Albuquerque but they arrested him when they found out he was already victimizing a child.

“As soon as we got that information from our speed unit we deployed our assets in Texas,” Abar said.

The unit has also arrested a truck driver from California and a student from Tennessee.

“This vehicle was seized from an individual who lives in Tennessee and decided that while he was in Albuquerque he was going to have sex with a child that he met on the internet,” HSI Agent Davalu Cummings said.

They've seized at least a dozen cars from suspects who drove to meet up with a child for sex. Its not only websites like Facebook, or chat rooms, that predators are using.  Xbox and Playstation offer online chatting too.

“Easily within under an hour if not quicker than that they can be in chat rooms and solicited by these predators,” APD Commander Chris Bakas said.

The detectives and agents work off tips from parents whose kids are solicited online then someone from the unit steps in and pretend to be the child. They also go online themselves and portray children to lure predators.

The suspects are arrested when they show up to meet.