FL- List of men sentenced in last year's 'Operation Cyber Hawk' sting

4-7-2008 Florida:

More than two dozen men were arrested when the Polk County Sheriff's Office held a four-day sting in late March 2007 dubbed "Operation Cyber Hawk." Several of the men pleaded guilty and have been sentenced, according to the Attorney General's Office.

Among them:

Richard Gaugh, who told detectives he was a part-time instructor at Disney, was sentenced to five years in prison. When he gets out, Gaugh, 56, who lived in Ormond Beach, will serve five years probation and has to register as a sex offender.

Julio Segundo, who was an intern at Disney for research and development, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. Segundo, 22, will also serve three years probation.

Michael Rypel, 31, an unemployed laborer from Clermont, pleaded guilty and was recently sentenced to three years in prison, two years community control and two years probation.

Jonathan Tompkins, 20, of Melbourne, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by two years sex offender community control, then two years and three months sex offender probation.

Milton Roe, 43, who worked for Pulte Homes in Tampa, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison followed by five years probation. His case is under appeal.

Johnson Wong, an Apopka man whose employment was unknown, committed suicide after the sting. The Medical Examiner's office said Wong, 35, was found dead in Lake Virginia in July. He drowned and the death was ruled a suicide.

Several months after "Operation Cyber Hawk," the Sheriff's Office held another several-day sting. That undercover operation, dubbed "Operation Guardian," lead to the arrests of 25 men in July. As in the previous operation, most of the men did not live in Polk County.

Most of the men arrested in that operation have not gone to trial or pleaded. But Angel Lopez, 29, of Orlando, was convicted by a jury and is scheduled for sentencing in May. He told police he was a driver for a rental car company. Michael Haas, 33, of Deltona pleaded guilty and was recently sentenced to two years community control followed by eight years probation. ..more.. by

TX- Suspected Child Molester Kills Self, Sheriff Says

Frankie Lewis Tucker Found Dead in Jail Cell

4-7-2008 Texas:

A suspected child molester killed himself inside the Parker County Justice Center on Sunday morning, officials said.

Corrections officers found Frankie Lewis Tucker lying on the floor of his cell at about 10:45 a.m., according to a news release issued by Sheriff Larry Fowler.

The 55-year-old Weatherford man choked himself with an electric cord from a portable radio that he tied to a metal table, the release stated.

Officers, medical personnel and responding paramedics were unable to revive Tucker.

Tucker, who has a possible law enforcement and military background, was placed in a segregation cell on Saturday morning when he was booked into the facility.

He was the subject of a local and nationwide manhunt involving allegations of indecency with a child.

United States Marshals arrested him at a bus terminal in Bakersfield, Calif. on March 30.

A preliminary report from the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office on Monday ruled Tucker's death a suicide by hanging. ..more.. by FOX 4

CA- O.C. deputy found dead faced molestation charges

4-3-2008 California:

An on-duty Orange County sheriff's deputy who was found dead Wednesday afternoon had been criminally charged earlier in the day with molesting a 12-year-old boy he met through a mentoring program, authorities said today.

Gerald Stenger, 41, was found at 2 p.m. in the driver's seat of an unmarked patrol car with a single gunshot wound to the head in an Aliso Viejo parking structure, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office.

Stenger was charged Wednesday morning with molesting a 12-year-old boy from 1995 to 1997. Authorities said the veteran deputy met the youth through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County. He would have faced a maximum sentence of 18 years in prison if convicted.

The county district attorney's office said it had concluded that Stenger was at risk of committing suicide if he discovered that he was going to be charged. In an attempt to keep Stenger from finding out he was about to be arrested, county prosecutors sealed documents and tried to arrange for a "safe" arrest.

NY- State trooper commits suicide

4-1-2008 New York:

COLONIE, N.Y. - A state police lieutenant took his own life yesterday after he was notified he would face discipline for having sex with a woman recruit at the State Police Academy, law enforcement officials told the Daily News.

Joseph Banish, 35, was still in his gray uniform when he killed himself just after 3p.m. at his home with his state police-issued pistol, officials said.

Sources said Banish's body was apparently discovered by the woman with whom he had consensual sex at the academy.

The woman was a prospective state police recruit when she and Banish went to a room where he was staying at the academy, sources said. A female trooper who had been in an adjoining room at the time of the sexual encounter initiated the complaint against Vanish, sources said.

Lt. Glenn Miner, the state police spokesman, declined to discuss the incident. ..more.. by JOE MAHONEY, DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU CHIEF

IL- Sex assault suspect dies after suicide attempt

3-18-2008 Illinois:

A 46-year-old Berwyn man awaiting trial on sexual assault charges in Hickory Hills died from injuries suffered earlier this month while trying to hang himself at Cook County Jail.

Reinaldo Sanchez was found about 1:30 p.m. March 14 hanging in his cell, police said.

Police said he was alone in his cell when the incident occurred.

He was still alive when paramedics transported him to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was put on life-support.

Sanchez was taken off life-support March 18.

He was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old Berwyn girl on July 8 after he told her he would give driving lessons.

Instead, Sanchez drove the girl to an auto detail shop where he worked in Hickory Hills and assaulted her, according to Hickory Hills police Lt. Mark Zvokel.

Zvokel said Sanchez opened the gate of the auto business, which was closed, and attacked the girl inside his car.

Sanchez was charged with one count of criminal sexual assault, Zvokel said.

He had been incarcerated since his arrest. ..more.. by Jim Hook can be reached at jhook@southtownstar.com or (708) 633-5961.