[h2]Homeland Security Deputy Press Secretary Arrested[/h2] [!--startclickprintexclude--][!--endclickprintexclude--] [p class="pubdate"]By HOWARD ALTMAN of The Tampa Tribune
Published: Apr 5, 2006[/p]A Department of Homeland Security deputy press secretary was arrested this evening on charges that he was using a computer to seduce a child.[/p] Brian Doyle, 55, was arrested at 7:45 p.m. in his Silver Springs, Maryland home on 23 charges related to the use of a computer to seduce a child and transmitting harmful materials to a minor after a joint investigation by the Polk County Sheriff's office, Florida State Attorney Jerry Hill's office and the Department of Homeland Security.[/p] "We take these allegations very seriously and will cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation," DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said in a telephone interview.[/p] Doyle allegedly met someone on the internet he thought was a 14-year-old girl and "initiated a sexually explicit conversation with her," according to a press release issued by the Polk County sheriff's office. "The girl was actually an undercover Polk County Sheriff's computer crimes detective. Doyle knew that the girl was 14 years old, and he told her who he was that that he worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. During future online chats, Doyle gave the undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old girl his office phone number and his government-issued cell phone number."[/p] Doyle "used the internet to send hard-core pornographic movie clips to the girl and used the AOL Instant Messenger chat service to have explicit sexual conversations with her." He also "instructed the victim...to perform a sexual act while thinking of him and descried explicit and perverse sexual acts he wished to have with her, in addition to sending her numerous obscene digital movies. He also had sexually explicit telephone conversations with a detective posing as a child...and encouraged her to purchase a web cam so that she could send graphic images of herself to him and promised her that he would likewise send nude photos of himself."[/p] Doyle's home computer and other materials were seized, according to the release. Doyle is charged with seven counts of Use of a Computer to Seduce a Child and 16 counts of Transmission of Harmful Material to a Minor. Doyle was booked into the Montgomery County Jail, where he is awaiting extradition to Polk County.[/p] Doyle has been at the Department of Homeland Security since it was created in 2002. He started as a spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Administration. [/p] "We will go after child predators, no matter where they live, to protect our innocent children," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in the release. "This investigation shows that the long arm of the law can reach anyone, anywhere, anytime, who tries to harm our youth. There is no question that Doyle believed that he was having these disgusting, obscene discussion, online and on the phone, with a young girl. His conduct is vile and inexcusable." [/p][img]http://imgsrv.theledger.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=LL&Date=20060404&Category=BREAKING&ArtNo=60404013&Ref=AR&MaxW=250"]
[font style="font-weight: bold;" size="5"] Brian Doyle[/font]
