DV Journal

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare.

A mom thought something wasn’t right with her 13-year-old daughter. After seeing news reports about the arrest of alleged sex offender Mark Wills in February and hearing the district attorney’s message that there may be other victims, she contacted the police.

It turned out she was right to be worried. But not about the earlier culprit. Instead, three other men have been arrested on charges related to the sex trafficking of her daughter.

Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn held a news conference Tuesday to announce the arrests.

County detectives identified “a perpetrator from Kentucky who was sexually exploiting her,” said Schorn. “Not only was he sexually exploiting her, he was manufacturing child sexual abuse materials and he was trafficking her to other men.”

Zachary McCauley

Schorn said Zachary McCauley, 29, of Louisville, Ky., is in custody awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania. McCauley is charged with trafficking in individuals, sexual abuse of children, corruption of minors, and other charges, according to court records.

On Snapchat, McCauley pretended to be a 17-year-old boy, Jake, and befriended the victim.

“That’s unfortunately a theme we see time and time again,” said Schorn. “These forums, it allows for these predators to really (contact victims) with anonymity. And it’s quite frightening, as a result.”

“He used grooming tactics to lower her inhibitions, and then those tactics evolved to threatening to inflict harm upon her mother if she did not comply with his demands,” said Schorn. “As a result, this 13-year-old child’s identity, her picture, was posted on an application that is a dating application, Grindr. Where then she was trafficked to other men for their own deviant sexual purposes.”

Randy Quinn

According to the affidavit of probable cause, the victim sent McCauley more than 25 videos of herself “in various stages of nudity.” McCauley contacted the victim in September, and after several weeks of grooming, the sexual encounters happened during October.

McCauley told the girl how to create a Grindr dating account, saying she was 18, which he controlled, said Schorn.

“Multiple men responded,” Schorn said. “They pursued this child and engaged in statutory sexual intercourse with this child.”

“One individual did so repeatedly, and he also livestreamed his sexual contact to the trafficker, she said, “creating child pornography.”

Two local men have also been arrested, she said.

Jon Van Ingen, 67, of Buckingham, and Randy Quinn, 42, of Coopersburg. Van Ingen was charged with one count of statutory sexual assault, and Quinn was charged with two counts of statutory sexual assault and one count each of photographing or filming a child sex act and dissemination of photos or film of child sex acts, officials said. Magisterial District Court Judge Maggie Snow released them on $150,000 unsecured bail.

Jon Van Ingen

Through Grindr, arrangements were made for the 13-year-old girl to be picked up and taken to various locations in Bucks County for the two predators to allegedly engage in sexual intercourse with her, said Schorn.

“As a result of the two live stream videos that were captured by McCauley, whether he’s paid in the traditional sense or he’s using that as currency online with other predators, time will tell. The investigation is ongoing as it relates to that,” she said.

“Those images and those videos are out there and very difficult for us to take down,” said Schorn.

Schorn praised the county detectives and the Internet Child Sex Task Force.

“Now, in this digital age and with the social media platforms that are available for these predators, we live in such dangerous times,” she said.

“We have strangers accessing our children (who) invite them into their homes and their bedrooms and oftentimes these crimes unfold,” said Schorn.

Asked if there were other victims, Schorn said the investigation is “very much active.”

A third local man also contacted the girl on Grindr but realized when he saw her in person that she was a child and did not go further. He was not charged.

“These predators are so good at what they do at grooming their victims and making them do things in the name or love or out of fear their loved ones will be harmed,” said Schorn.

Each time a case like this occurs, Schorn and her husband warn their own children about the dangers of online devices.

“I understand there’s a level of privacy you give your children, but you cannot be vigilant enough as to the dangers that are online,” Schorn said.

Americans shopping online spent nearly $10 billion on Black Friday and are expected to spend a record $12 billion on Cyber Monday. Unfortunately, law enforcement experts say, too much of that holiday cash will go to criminal cartels — the same ones responsible for drug smuggling and smash-and-grab robberies across the U.S.

How? Thanks to the massive amount of illicit, stolen, and counterfeit consumer goods being sold to Americans, mostly via online shopping.

“The harsh reality is Santa is not the only one handing out toys this season,” said Alysa Erichs with United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT). “Black market criminals have exploited the boom in online shopping by misleading consumers into buying stolen and counterfeit goods, many of which threaten the economy and our nation.”

Erichs, a former Acting Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations, made her remarks at a recent press event featuring members of law enforcement and America’s retail sector. They all had the same message: Shopping for deals online could mean sending money to criminal gangs.

Michael Ball with Homeland Security Investigations told reporters the largest counterfeit bust in U.S. history had just happened two weeks earlier. The Department of Justice announced the “seizures of approximately 219,000 counterfeit bags, clothes, shoes, and other luxury products with a total estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price (‘MSRP’) of approximately $1.03 billion.”

Ball presented a display of seized counterfeit goods ranging from high-end electronics like iPhones to toys and luxury retail items, including Louis Vitton handbags. One popular item is a hoverboard built with batteries that “tended to burst into flame,” Ball said.

Jennifer Hanks, director of brand protection for the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), also highlighted the dangers consumers face from fake goods.

Authorities recently seized a shipment of children’s sleepwear marked as flame retardant but was not. And she noted a recent study that tested 47 counterfeit products. Of those, 17 were found to have dangerous levels of lead, arsenic, or other substances, she said.

And, Hanks added, counterfeit product and organized retail crime cost real Americans their jobs. The fakers destroyed over 300,000 U.S. jobs in various industries, such as toys, water filters, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and car parts.

“If it can be made, it can be counterfeited,” she said.

Some of those job losses have been felt here in the Keystone State. The Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association is a member of USA-IT, and PMA President and CEO David N. Taylor told DVJournal counterfeits are part of the “ongoing economic warfare” being waged by the Chinese communist government against U.S. businesses and workers.

More than 75 percent of the value of counterfeit and pirated goods seized in the U.S. originate in China and Hong Kong, and online Chinese sellers often rely on Mexican drug cartels to skirt U.S. Customs and import lethal goods like fentanyl and fake pharmaceuticals, according to USA-IT.

“This is something that’s systematically bigger than any one company,” said Taylor. “We need a whole of government response.”

The counterfeiting taking place is “systematic and unrelenting,” Taylor added. “The problem is out of control.”

The impact of organized retail theft is being felt by shoppers in cities like Philadelphia, which has seen stores close across the city over the past two years. In September, The  Wall Street Journal reported retail theft in Philly increased by more than 30 percent compared to a year earlier. Some of the same goods being stolen in smash-and-grab robberies that make the nightly news also make their way to holiday shoppers, often via the internet.

Ball said the organized gangs grabbing armloads are luxury goods and high-end clothes aren’t shopping for their girlfriends. “It’s being resold to criminal organizations to fund organized crime,” he said. “That’s what’s happening.”

“People are being duped to be part of organized crime,” he said. “You’re giving hundreds and thousands of dollars to people who are flooding guns and drugs onto your streets. It’s one of the most foolish things you can possibly think of.”

Ball said counterfeit goods affect the economy and consumers who purchase them.

“It’s crucial that we all remain vigilant about the dangers posed by counterfeit goods,” said Ball. “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

You are not alone if you are a single person in the Philadelphia area and find dating difficult. The dating landscape has changed over the last decade or so.

For those seeking long-term relationships, the quest has become more challenging than ever.

And the task is tougher in the Philadelphia area than elsewhere. The personal-finance website WalletHub ranked 182 U.S. cities as to their desirability for singles. Factors included the size and percentage of the area’s single population, the types of recreational activities available, and the actual cost of going on a date (a movie and a meal) and dating opportunities. Nearly half of U.S. adults are single, the website said. An average date costs around $90.

Considering all those factors, Philadelphia ranked a hardly inspiring 89th in terms of being a desirable locale for a single person and 109th in available dating opportunities.

In the former category, it fell well behind San Francisco (4th), Minneapolis (6th), Atlanta (10th), and even Pittsburgh (18th).

Kristi Price is a dating consultant and life coach based in Conshohocken. She started KP Matchmaking 15 years ago following a divorce to help others avoid her own dating mistakes.

Price says when she first launched her service, it was common for singles to meet each other through online dating sites. But over time, that medium has evolved, and Price noted not necessarily for the better.

“I think it’s become very transient,” she said. “Many people think there’s always something better around the corner if they’re online dating.”

Price says a significant problem with online dating is the flood of misinformation that confronts those looking for a relationship.

“Fifteen years ago, a lot of people did meet (online) and have relationships and are married,” she said. “But now, it’s such a difficult time, especially after COVID. (Online dating) is more saturated with scammers, people in relationships looking for validation, and those types of obstacles. So, it’s much harder to meet people who want a relationship.

“People are really relationship driven. Online is a tough place to meet a quality individual,” she said.

Karin Sternberg, a lecturer in the psychology department at Cornell University, said, “Online dating gives people access to a much larger pool of potential dates. It is OK to write and have video chats at first. However, I suggest people move their dates to an in-person format sooner rather than later. After all, you are most likely looking for an in-person relationship and not an online relationship. People behave differently in real life than on the screen, and when you meet someone in person, you share actual experiences, which helps you bond and get to know the other person.”

Price describes the online dating landscape as a chaotic mess.

“It’s ridiculous online,” she said. “You get ghosting, and people don’t get back to you. It’s like people have lost the value of humanity and being kind through online dating.”

“It’s about immediate gratification,” she added. “Look at photos instead of trying to get to know a person and get to know who they are.”

Price advocates doing a background check on any potential date, particularly someone you know only through online communication.

“It’s easy to do,” she said. “All you need is a first and last name, and if you know their age and location, you can pretty much figure it out.”

“You can’t just trust people for what they say online. Not only that they are single and want a relationship but also that they are not a criminal.

“So, it’s always important to get information on a (potential date) before you meet them. Even if all you have is a phone number, you can reverse search who they are, if they’re actually saying who they are. Even if I meet with a client, I do this. I do background checks on anyone I work with before I work with them. That’s the easiest way to protect yourself,” she said.

Price admits finding a compatible partner is challenging.

“It’s difficult to meet people who are looking for relationships and are quality individuals, professionals,” she said. “People who are in the same stage of life, looking for mutual relationship goals, and that type of thing.

“They claim they want relationships. They’re out and about and going to bars, which is totally fine, but they’re not really emotionally available. You see that across the country, but I see that a lot in Philadelphia.”

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