House Arrest and GPS
Does house arrest work? That’s the question a lot are asking right now in the Tampa Bay area.
It seems that a defendant that was placed on house arrest in September 2006 and just hours before his jury trial, he was able to escape. He was able to get the ankle bracelet off and disappear before deputies arrived at his house.
His dad knew nothing of the escape until Deputies arrived at his house and had to force his son’s bedroom door open. Seems the Deputies had to remove the door knob to make entry into his room. Once Deputies gained entry into his room they were able to recover the GPS ankle bracelet unit and the cell phone that was supplied to him to use with the GPS unit.
Wonder who has to pay for the cell service? I would think since the defendant could only leave his house to travel to his attorney's office and court we the tax payers get to pay for this service. Nice to know our tax dollars are not being wasted and being used to help maintain law and order.
Kareem Hack, 21.
According to the HCSO, the tampering immediately activated an emergency alert at the monitoring station at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Work Release Center on Falkenburg Road. Deputies were dispatched to his home at 11:50 p.m.
So you ask what was the crime? Kareem Hack was arrested after he was caught on undercover video trying to pay a mother $100 to have sex with two of her children. (Son 2 years old and daughter 3 years old)
The mother met the suspect on a Tampa chat-line, police said. She just moved to Tampa with her husband and four children and was trying to meet people through the chat-line.
Police said Hack began text messaging the mother with very graphic desires about two of her children. The mother then contacted the Tampa Police Department.
Police say Hack confessed. He is facing a maximum of life in prison. Sentencing guidelines call for a minimum of 9-years
Hack's attorney, Daniel Fernandez, said he and his client almost worked out a plea agreement with the state. Fernandez was states he was surprised Hack did not show up for his trial. Fernandez did say Hack had been early for more than a dozen other court hearings.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477.
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This is a copy of the first story that was reported by the media. The original arrest was in September 2006.
Man accused of soliciting sex with toddlers
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Tampa police accuse a 20-year-old man of attempting to pay a woman to have sex with her 2-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.
Police said the accused man, Kareem Hack, met the woman on a cell phone chat room.
"He acted on his text messages, which was soliciting her young two-year-old and three-year-old for sexual contact," said Det. Mark Sutkoff of the Tampa Police Department.
Police said the mother and Hack had been sending text messages to each other on the phone for about ten days before they set up the sting and that he offered money to have sex with her son and daughter.
"There were several negotiations, for several sex acts, with several amounts of money with her daughter and son," Sutkoff said. "So nothing was exact. For that evening it was $20 for him to come over and have sex with her daughter."
Police set up a sting at a motel Tuesday night where the mother had been temporarily living with her kids.
After Hack offered the $20 in the hotel room, police tackled him. Sutkoff said because the mother agreed to the sting police have a better case against Hack.
"At the very end she freaks," Sutkoff said. "So she held up just long enough for us to make our case. So kudos to her. I mean, we would have a case anyway but with her we have an outstanding case."
Police say they released a video of the conversation at the motel because they're not sure if there are other victims, but to protect their case they did not include the audio. Bay News 9 is concealing the mother's identity.
Hack's family in Bradenton declined a request from Bay News 9 for an interview.
Tampa police said the case shows the danger of cell phone chatting.
"I think this should be a wake up call for parents," said Sgt. Julie Massucci of the Tampa Police Department. "Start monitoring your children's phones."
Police said Hack's been in trouble before for burglary, exposing himself in public and soliciting prostitution.
Hack is being held in the Hillsborough County jail without bond.
Here is a run down from the clerk of the court web site.
06/09/08 Failure to appear
04/17/08 Subpoena returned served
03/12/08 Jury trial set and notice sent
03/17/08 Motion to dismiss. Count two, four and six
01/25/08 Motion to dismiss counts two, four and six.
This list goes all the way back to the original arrest date. In order to save time and space this is the latest list. Looks like in the “deal” they were working on several charges would have been dismissed.
Why would he run just hours before his trial?
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