Internet predator arrests in Lehigh Valley; 268 total arrests by Child Predator Unit

Agents from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit have arrested a Northampton County man accused of arranging a sexual meeting in the Allentown area with what he believed was a 13-year old girl, along with an Allegheny County man charged with sending sexually explicit photos and webcam videos to 13 and 14-year old “girls” from central Pennsylvania.

The men were actually communicating with undercover agents from the Child Predator Unit who were using the online profiles of young teens.

Attorney General Tom Corbett identified the defendants as Jeffrey C. Cressman Sr., 46, 1659 Washington Ave., Northampton and Eric Devin Brindle, 24, 3396 Altherton Drive, Bethel Park.

Corbett said that these arrests, along with other recent cases involving the Child Predator Unit, demonstrate the increased dangers posed by online predators during summer months.

“Summer vacation season typically triggers a jump in the number of incidents involving Internet predators, who have greater access to kids for longer periods during the day,” Corbett said. “It is important for every parent to understand that electronic predators are a regular presence on the Internet and a very real threat to child safety, highlighting the need to regularly discuss online security with their kids.”

Jeffrey C. Cressman Sr.

Corbett said that Cressman allegedly used an Internet chat room to approach an undercover agent who was using the online profile of 13-year old girl. During their initial online chat Cressman is accused of sending a webcam video that showed him nude and masturbating in front of his computer.

According to the criminal complaint, Cressman continued to send sexually explicit videos to the “girl,” and also discussed meeting her in-person for sex, telling her, “I would make love to you,” and, “I can teach you everything I know about sex.”

Corbett said Cressman urged the girl to have her mother take her to the mall or other locations, commenting, “we could meet there, sneak out to my car,” later adding, “need to find a safe place,” and, “can we be alone with no one to bother us?”

According to the criminal complaint, during July Cressman pressed for a face-to-face meeting with the girl and described in graphic detail the sex acts he wished to perform. Cressman allegedly proposed meeting the girl and bringing her back to his house, explaining, “I’m dropping you off behind there in the alley and I’m going to park in front then come back to get you so no one sees.”

On July 21st Cressman was arrested by agents from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit, assisted by officers from the South Whitehall Township Police Department, when he arrived at a predetermined meeting location in Lehigh County. At the time, Cressman was driving a purple colored car that he had described during online chats about the meeting.

Cressman is charged with one count of unlawful contact with a minor (related to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse), a first-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. He is also charged with one count of unlawful contact with a minor (related to statutory sexual assault), a second-degree felony punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Additionally, Cressman is charged with eight counts of unlawful contact with a minor (related to obscene or sexual 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.

Cressman was preliminarily arraigned before Allentown Magisterial District Judge Jacob Hammond and lodged in the Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail. Cressman is also prohibited from using the Internet and may not have any unsupervised contact with minors. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 28th, at 2:15 p.m.

Cressman will be prosecuted in Lehigh County by Deputy Attorney General Christopher Jones of the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit.

Corbett thanked the South Whitehall Township Police Department for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.

Eric Devin Brindle

Corbett said that Brindle allegedly used an Internet chat room to contact an undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit who was using the online profile of a 13-year old girl from Lancaster County.

According to the criminal complaint, Brindle asked for photos of the “girl” during their first online conversation, telling her he was collecting pictures of girls he met online. During that same conversation, Brindle allegedly asked, “u ever seen a guy naked?” and later activated his webcam, showing him nude and masturbating in front of his computer.

Corbett said that Brindle allegedly communicated with a second undercover agent, believing she was a 14-year old friend of the first girl. Brindle allegedly sent nude webcam videos to both “girls,” asking, “would you like to see what I show her,” and, “u want to watch too?”

Brindle was arrested on July 21st by agents from the Child Predator Unit, assisted by officers from the Upper Saint Clair and Bethel Park Police Departments.

Brindle was transported to Dauphin County where he was preliminarily arraigned before Harrisburg Magisterial District Judge Barbara Pianka and lodged in the Dauphin County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 8th, at 9 a.m., before Harrisburg Magisterial District Judge Joseph S. Solomon.

Brindle will be prosecuted in Dauphin County by Deputy Attorney General Christopher Jones of the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit.

Corbett thanked the Upper Saint Clair and Bethel Park Police Departments for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.

Summer Internet Safety
Corbett urged parents and children to take added steps to guard against online predators, especially during the summer months when more young teens are home alone or unsupervised for greater lengths of time.

Corbett noted that the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit has arrested 268 online predators since it was created in January 2005, including residents from every corner of Pennsylvania along with individuals who traveled to Pennsylvania from as far away as Texas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey and Ohio, all hoping to sexually victimize children. To date, the Child Predator Unit has a 100% conviction rate.

“Online predators do not care how far they must travel if they find a vulnerable victim,” Corbett said. “Online safety and security should be a regular topic of discussion in every home, and we urge parents to emphasize that children should always tell a trusted adult if an online stranger says or does something inappropriate or sexual in nature.”

Corbett said that many Internet predators will initiate sexual conversations or send nude photos or videos during their first online chats with children, and a large number will quickly suggest face-to-face meetings for sex.

Corbett added that parents should emphasize that kids should not share personal information online, like full names, ages, addresses, phone numbers and school information, and should be especially cautious about strangers who approach them online.

Corbett recommended that 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.
” Reviewing their online profiles on FaceBook, MySpace and other websites.
” Discussing the items they post online.

Additionally, Corbett said parents and teens also need to understand that safety concerns now extend beyond home computers.

“Many cell phones and game systems can be used to send and receive messages or photos and can also be used to access websites,” Corbett said. “The same safety rules need to be applied to all of these devices.”

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 website, at www.attorneygeneral.gov or by calling the toll-free Child Predator Hotline at
1-800-385-1044.

(A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.)
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