Web Photos Nab Child Predator In N.J.
CBS News producer Robert Hendin wrote this story for cbsnews.com.
Federal Agents Wednesday arrested Wayne Nelson Corliss, age 59, in Union City, N.J., on charges of producing and distributing child pornography. Corliss was nabbed after more than hundreds of thousands of page views developed numerous tips that came into the international law enforcement agency INTERPOL after it posted pictures of Corliss on its Web site on Monday.
Officials say there are over 100 pictures of Corliss showing sexual abuse with at least three boys between 6 and 10 years old. The pictures were believed to have been taken in Southeast Asia between 2000 and 2001. There are more than 800 pictures of the series involving the boys and Corliss. INTERPOL first got the pictures of Corliss in March 2006 from police in Norway. They were found on a computer seized from another man arrested for possession of child pornography.
This was only the second time that INTERPOL had posted pictures on its Web site and asked the public for help in identifying a child predator. "The law enforcement community around the world has done all it can to find this man who clearly presents a danger to young children, and we are now asking the public to help identify this predator and protect other potential victims from abuse," said INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.
Codenamed, "Operations IDent," the effort marks a new method used by law enforcement to catch child predators like Corliss who travel the world to exploit children. After the successful arrest of Christopher Paul Neil last October, which was made after INTERPOL posted unscrambled pictures of the man on their website, the agency changed its rules to allow for images to posted more frequently to ask for the public's help in catching wanted predators.
Corliss was expected to be arraigned Wednesday in New Jersey.
INTERPOL agents passed the tips onto officials from the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency, ICE, which arrested Corliss at his house.
Law enforcment officials tell CBS News that Corliss had been under surveillance for a day or so before he was arrested. The arrest occured without incident. "We knocked on the door, he identified himself," said one official. When speaking to officers, Corliss did not deny any of the government's allegations of his illicit activities.
By Robert Hendin
