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January 18, 2007

Kenosha man indicted for arranging sex with 8-year-old girl
Made online arrangements for Colorado mother to bring daughter to Kenosha for sex

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - A Kenosha man was indicted yesterday following his arrest last month at Mitchell International Airport as he awaited the arrival of a Colorado woman and her fictitious 8-year-old daughter whom he allegedly planned to have sex with.

The indictment resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Wisconsin Department of Justice - Division of Criminal Investigation (WDOJ-DCI), the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the Milwaukee Police Department.

Dennis Lee Metallo, 46, of Kenosha, was indicted by a federal grand jury Jan. 17 on 20 counts of: attempting to entice a child, attempting to transport a child to engage in sexual activity, and distributing and possessing child pornography. Metallo was arrested by ICE and WDOJ-DCI agents Dec. 27 at the Milwaukee airport as he awaited the arrival of a woman and her daughter from Colorado allegedly with the intent of having sex with the child. Metallo has been detained in federal custody since his arrest.

According to the previously filed criminal complaint, since July 2006, Metallo had been communicating via telephone and the Internet with a Colorado woman named “Marsha” who was actually an investigator from the Canon City (Colorado) Police Department. During their first online chat, Marsha mentioned that she had an 8-year-old daughter. Metallo allegedly suggested he meet Marsha and her daughter for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. The criminal complaint further alleges that by December 2006, Metallo and Marsha agreed to meet. They agreed that Marsha and her daughter would fly to Kenosha Dec. 27 so that Metallo could have sex with the girl.

ICE agents seized Metallo's car at the airport, which contained an overnight bag with sex toys and a digital camera. A consent search was conducted at Metallo's residence that day, during which time ICE agents seized two computers as evidence.

"Too many children are victimized by child molesters and predators who make contact through the Internet,” said Brian Falvey, resident agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Milwaukee. “ICE is committed to apprehending and prosecuting those who abuse our children and endanger their lives and well-being. We will continue working with federal, state and local agencies to ensure that those who try to hurt children are brought to justice."

Metallo was arrested as part of Operation Predator, a national ICE initiative that protects children by investigating and presenting for prosecution pedophiles, Internet predators, human traffickers, international sex tourists, and other predatory criminals. Since Operation Predator was launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 9,200 child predators and sex offenders nationwide, including 250 in Wisconsin. For more information about Operation Predator, visit www.ice.gov.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Penny Coblentz, Eastern District of Wisconsin, is prosecuting this case.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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