Alleged Internet predators get a big surprise

Attorney General Abbott's Internet Bureau has tracked down and arrested three more suspected child predators in Hays County.

The men had allegedly made contact with "13-year-old girls" in online teen chat rooms and had made arrangements to take a road trip to meet the girls for sex. The "13-year-olds" turned out to be Internet Bureau Investigators.

All three suspects have telecommunications or computer industry backgrounds and training.

Investigators said Phillip Joel Ramos, 30, a Verizon Wireless employee from Austin, was arrested August 25; Michael Edward Kilpatrick, 46, a technical engineer for Hewlett-Packard from Houston, was arrested August 16; and Michael A. McDaniel, 43, a former Dell Computer employee from Pflugerville, was arrested August 14.

Attorney General Abbott said, " The willingness on the part of some adults to set up sexual rendezvous with children deeply offends the sensibilities of average citizens and parents. That's why I am taking great strides to see that the Internet Bureau, with the resources available to us, take as many of these predators off the street as possible."

These three arrests bring the total number of arrests for attempted meetings with children to 14, and all since May. The Internet Bureau has obtained Hays County grand jury indictments against six of these men. They all await trial.

Kilpatrick was charged with attempted aggravated sexual assault of a minor and has his bond set at $250,000. Investigators said Kilpatrick allegedly reserved a hotel room on Ben White Boulevard in Austin and was driving south into Hays County to meet the "child."

Ramos was also charged with attempted aggravated sexual assault of a minor and his bond is set at $150,000.

McDaniel was charged with criminal solicitation of minor and has his bond set at $150,000.

The Internet Bureau is funded by a grant from Governor Rick Perry's Justice Division.