Police arrest a Los Gatos man in sex case that began online
By Leigh Ann Maze
Los Gatos-Monte Sereno police arrested Los Gatos resident Kevin Binder at his home on July 3, for unlawful sexual intercourse, lewd conduct and oral copulation with a minor whom he met on the Internet.
In late June, Binder, 28, met a 15-year-old girl from an East Bay city through an online Bay Area chat room, according to Sgt. Michael Barbieri of the department's detective bureau.
On June 29, after chatting over the Internet for about one week, Binder and the girl agreed to meet at a location in an East Bay city, the name of which police are not releasing.
Binder picked the girl up in his car and brought her back to his Los Gatos home where he had sexual relations with her. He then drove her back to the meeting spot, according to the police report.
The girl, who lives with her parents, told them about the incident. The girl's parents called police.
After being arrested for three felony counts at his Riviera Drive home, Binder is being held in the Santa Clara County main jail on $75,000 bail. LG-MSPD officers also obtained a warrant to search Binder's home.
Barbieri said that the LG-MSPD has seen several similar cases in Los Gatos. "We want to put it out there that this kind of stuff is happening," Barbieri said. "You don't know who is on the other end of that correspondence."
Barbieri stressed that parents need to be aware of their children's online activities, and talk with them about possible dangers online. "Addresses, phone numbers and other personal information should not be given out," Barbieri said.
In order to reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring, the LG-MSPD recommends that parents spend time with their children online, maintain access to their children's Internet accounts, keep the computer in a common room and use block software. The LG-MSPD also recommend parents tell their children never to arrange face-to-face meetings with people they meet online.
For parents looking for further information on how to discuss Internet safety with their children, police recommend the FBI local field office in San Jose and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, at www.missingkids.com, as resources.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
