North Strabane police investigation into human trafficking leads to arrest of New Jersey man
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An investigation into human trafficking done by a North Strabane Township police officer at the request of an agent with the federal Department of Homeland Security Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking team led to the arrest Tuesday of a New Jersey man.
Kevin J. Newell, 55, ?of Maywood, was taken into custody on a warrant obtained by township police after a search of his home by investigators in Bergen County, N.J. He also was charged in New Jersey as a fugitive from justice.
North Strabane Officer Gary Scherer was contacted in March by a Homeland Security special agent for assistance in a sex trafficking investigation involving an attempt to recruit or entice a minor for sexual servitude.
Scherer, a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, was contacted by the special agent because of his experience in investigations in undercover chatrooms.
The federal investigation reportedly started after an employee of a women’s shelter provided a tip regarding a possible sex trafficking victim.
Scherer talked to the employee and learned that a person using the name Sean McAvoy was trying to get her involved in the pornography industry.
McAvoy, who was later identified as Newell by police, told her he was looking for girls aged 14 to 16 to recruit into the pornography industry.
Police said Newell gave her a video pornography stage name and two email addresses, and told her that he operated a pornography website. Scherer, in court documents, indicated it was a pay-for-access pornographic site.
The officer gained access to the website, capturing images of the suspect’s face and a tattoo on his lower right leg.
Police said the federal agent also gave Scherer text messages and recorded telephone calls between the witness and Newell.
In April, the witness reportedly told Newell she had found underage girls as he had requested, at a library.
Scherer assumed a fictitious identity as a 15-year-old girl from the Canonsburg area, and Newell was provided with a phone number and the girl’s information, police said.
Newell allegedly sent a text message to the person he thought was the 15-year-old girl.
He allegedly asked for more information and told the girl she was not too young to be made famous.
Police said he encouraged her to send him naked photographs.
He also allegedly gave her a video pornography stage name of “Ashley Luv” and said he would take her to Europe and Asia to make her famous in the pornography industry.
Investigators used a federal summons to obtain records of Newell’s cellphone use. A search warrant was used to obtain records and content of his email accounts.
Newell is being held in Bergen County jail without bond, pending extradition to Washington County to face charges of trafficking in individuals, trafficking in minors, unlawful contact with a minor, soliciting of child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility.