Police in Wisconsin sometimes turn to undercover operations in their law enforcement efforts. When it comes to sex crime enforcement, one type of undercover operation authorities sometimes use are internet sting operations. These stings sometimes lead to individuals facing serious internet sex crime charges.
This can be seen in some news that recently came up regarding an internet sting operation that was done here in Wisconsin. The operation involved four different police departments.
Recently, three arrests came out of this undercover operation. The three men arrested were from Marshfield, Stevens Point and Wausau. The men are accused of having used the internet to arrange a meeting with an underage girl (who was actually an officer posing as such) for sex acts.
The type of charge the men are facing is the charge of using a computer to facilitate a sex crime.
This type of charge carries some very hefty potential penalties. The maximum prison sentence that can be given for a conviction on this charge is 40 years. Meanwhile, the maximum fine that can come out of such a conviction is $100,000,
This illustrates the severe nature of the charges that can come out internet stings. In cases that involve such high stakes, lots of little details can end up being critical. This includes details on how the sting was conducted. Certain conduct by police in such stings could bring into question the accuracy or quality of the evidence that came out of the operation or the propriety of the operation. Skilled defense attorneys can help individuals who have had criminal charges brought against them in connection to an internet sting operation look into the specifics of the sting operation and other aspects of the case against them to look for potential weaknesses or problems with the prosecution’s case.
Source: WSAU, “Three Arrested in Online Sex Sting,” Dec. 21, 2016