MILFORD — Assistant State's Attorney Melanie Cradle was curious to see how the city's Computer Crimes Unit tracked down sexual predators. But the demonstration that unfolded before her Sept. 13 exceeded expectations.

When an undercover detective logged into an Internet chat room posing as a 14-year-old girl, he immediately received an e-mail from a Trumbull man with criminal intentions, police spokesman Officer Vaughan Dumas said.

As Cradle and police officials watched, William J. Pollock, 36, of Haylot Road, allegedly wrote several sexually explicit messages to the fictitious girl. He then used his personal Internet camera to transmit images of himself masturbating, police said.

Within moments, the demonstration turned into a real investigation, Dumas said.

Detectives logged into a Yahoo chat room several days later to have a second conversation with Pollock. Under the name "zimsum2," Pollock sent more illicit messages to the officer, police said.

"[He] requested that the 14-year-old girl take various naked pictures of herself and perform sexual acts in these pictures," Dumas said. "[Pollock] requested that these pictures be sent to him."

With help from Yahoo, detectives traced the e-mail account to Pollock's house on Haylot Road. Investigators seized his computer as evidence.

Pollock surrendered to police Thursday after learning of a warrant for his arrest.

He faces two counts of criminal attempt to commit risk of injury to a minor

Advertisement
and single counts of criminal attempt to possess child pornography and obscenity. The Computer Crimes Unit is performing a forensic examination of Pollock's computer to determine whether he used it to commit other crimes against children, Dumas said. Detectives are being assisted by the FBI, the Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Connecticut State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Pollock was arraigned on the criminal charges Thursday in Superior Court. Judge Karen Sequino set Pollock's bond at $50,000 and ordered him not to use computers outside of work.

Pollock appeared distressed at the arraignment. A computer specialist for Aetna, he had no criminal record before his arrest, court officials said.

His wife declined to comment. Pollock posted $50,000 bond. He is expected to return to court Nov. 30. Greg Shulas, who covers Milford, can be reachedat 878-2130.