Craiglist Pervert Caught: He Was 'Hooking' Fathers to Get Daughters

The Internet, most of us will know, is a notoriously unsafe space.

The fact that there are tons of viruses out there, controlled by people with less than noble intentions looking for ways to hack into your computer and steal all of your financial and banking secrets and personal information is, sometimes, secondary when one hears of sexual perverts trawling the Web for unsuspecting victims.

Child-safety locks, monitoring programmes and strict timings to use the Internet aside, parents across the world must be aware of the dangers and objectionable content their children are exposed to.

Another example of that danger was uncovered on Jan. 30.

According to a report in the New York Daily News, an undercover sting operation, conducted by Cook County, Illinois police officials, resulted in the capture of Brandon J. Bergthold, 25.

Bergthold has been accused of trawling the Internet's popular community information sharing Web site, Craiglist, looking for fathers willing to sell their young daughters for sex.

The Daily Mail reports that Bergthold, from Will County, Illinois, was caught by an undercover policeman posing as a father happy to turn over his daughter. The report also said that the arrest followed two months of investigation by the Will and Cook County Sherrif's Department.

The courts have placed a bond of $750,000 on Bergthold and he is set to appear in court on Feb. 17. He has been forbidden from having any contact with children under the age of 18.