Hollister resident Ronald Sheridan, 48, remained in a New York
jail Wednesday after he was arrested in Rochester, N.Y., on
suspicion of three counts of rape and one count of disseminating
indecent material to a minor, after meeting the 13-year-old victim
on the Internet, according to police.
Sheridan met the ninth-grade high school student via an instant
messaging service and allegedly sent her pictures, including some
nude photos of himself.
Hollister resident Ronald Sheridan, 48, remained in a New York jail Wednesday after he was arrested in Rochester, N.Y., on suspicion of three counts of rape and one count of disseminating indecent material to a minor, after meeting the 13-year-old victim on the Internet, according to police.
Sheridan met the ninth-grade high school student via an instant messaging service and allegedly sent her pictures, including some nude photos of himself.
On Sept. 4 he flew to Rochester, picked her up at her high school, then took her to a motel and had sex with her, according to Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Douglas Randall.
The girl was allegedly a willing participant, however, the charges assert that her age renders her legally incapable of consensual sex, according to Randall. The case is pending before a grand jury.
The situation was brought to police attention by the girl’s parents, who read her e-mail and found what motel Sheridan had taken her to, according to reports.
Members of the Hollister Police Department accompanied FBI agents to Sheridan’s residence at 243 Holland Circle to issue a search warrant, said Capt. Bob Brooks.
“We accompanied them in serving a search warrant, went up to the door with them, and found that everything was copasetic,” he said. “I think the suspect’s wife was there.”
Brooks did not know how long Sheridan has lived in Hollister, or where he is employed. Sheridan’s wife was unavailable for comment.
Sheridan, who has lived with his wife in the gated community for about five years, mostly kept to himself, according to a neighbor who preferred to remain anonymous.
“I hardly ever saw him, but he seemed like a nice enough guy,” she said. “The only communication I’ve had is your average ‘hi’ and ‘bye’.”
Another neighbor, who also requested anonymity, chose to move into the community of townhouses because she considered it a safe neighborhood, she said.
“I pay $1,400 a month instead of $800 because it’s a safe environment for my 12-year-old son,” she said. “It’s scary to find out a man who raped a 13-year-old girl lives right under your nose.”
The Hollister Police Department’s experience with Internet crime has been limited, with downloaded child pornography or Internet scams the only types of Web-based crimes they’ve dealt with, Brooks said.
“This is the first time we’ve had (a case where) someone has contacted someone over the Internet and set up an illicit crime that I’m aware of,” he said.
The danger of children and teenagers being stalked or seduced by Internet predators is very real, and something parents should be constantly monitoring, said San Benito High School librarian Doug Achterman.
Students at the high school are allowed to use the Internet for Web-surfing and e-mail in a highly supervised area of the library, and strictly for academic purposes in the classrooms, he said.
“We don’t closely read their e-mails, but we can see all the monitors,” Achterman said.
Typically, children begin Internet relationships in the privacy of their own homes, which is why parents need to keep their eyes and ears open to their children’s Internet usage and have good communication with their kids as to what is acceptable and what’s not, he said.
“It doesn’t happen a lot here, but it’s definitely a big concern,” he said.
Things to know to keep your children safe from Internet predators:
1.The computer used for online services should be in a public place. If the computer is in your child’s bedroom the door should be open when they’re online.
2. Discuss screen names – whether your child may use his/her real name or something else.
3. Set reasonable time limits for Internet use.
4. Use the parental control features if available.
5. If your child receives a message that is suggestive, obscene or threatening that makes them feel uncomfortable, forward a copy of the message to the service provider and ask for assistance.
Source: San Benito High School, via the Fresno Unified School District- http://mclane.fresno.k12.ca.us/about/AUP.html
