Who's behind the screen name? Often, it's a cop trying to catch pedophiles.(News)

0 Comments | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), August, 2003 | by Fabbre, Alicia

Byline: Alicia Fabbre Daily Herald Staff Writer Hello. Just one word. But the message is enough to elicit responses within a few seconds of being posted on the "I love older men" chat room. What's your name? One man asks. How old are you? What do you look like? The questions continue.

Why do you like older men? Are you a virgin? What turns you on? In less than 15 minutes, nine men are sending messages to someone they think is a 14-year-old girl from St. Charles. What they don't know is that the girl is really a 34-year-old man. And he's a cop. Alejandro Gomez patrols the Internet regularly for the Kane County state's attorney's Internet Task Force, which includes Gomez, prosecutors and partnerships with other police departments.. His job?...