Colorado Springs man arrested for trying to solicit minor for sex after undercover operation in Virginia
WARREN COUNTY, Va. (KRDO) – Virginia authorities have confirmed a man from Colorado Springs is in custody, thanks to an undercover operation targeting people using the internet to solicit minors for sexual purposes
According to a press release from the Warren County Sheriff's Office, the sting aimed to target perpetrators in the Warren County and Front Royal area of Virginia.
"These proactive investigations are intended to identify, interrupt, and arrest offenders who attempt to lure children into sexual encounters," the sheriff's office said.
During the operation, investigators say Joseph E. Kozak, a 39-year-old from Colorado Springs, began talking online with an undercover investigator who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. Through those conversations, Kozak began expressing that he wanted to meet up with the juvenile in Front Royal for sex, and the two eventually arranged to meet.
A further investigation into Kozak revealed that he was doing interstate deliveries in a commercial tractor-trailer when he had arranged the meeting location with the person he believed to be a 14-year-old child.
When Kozak arrived at the meeting location, he was arrested by Warren County deputies. When he was taken into custody, methamphetamine was also found in his possession, the sheriff's office said.
"This case highlights how easily predators can reach children through electronic devices and online platforms," Warren County Sheriff Crystal Cline said. "In this case, the suspect traveled across multiple states to meet a child. If this had involved a real victim, the outcome could have been devastating."
Kozak now faces charges for using communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children, taking indecent liberties with a child, and possession of a controlled substance. His court date is scheduled for Jan. 29.
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