AURORA | Aurora police say a Greeley man was arrested Wednesday in connection with child exploitation charges following an online predator operation that began more than eight months ago.
Daniel Oliver McCarthy, 39, was taken into custody and is accused of internet luring of a child and attempted sexual assault on a child, the Aurora Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit said in a news release.
Charges will be filed by the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, police said.
The arrest stems from a two-day operation on March 27 and March 28 that included Aurora detectives as well as the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, the Longmont Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
Investigators used social media ads to identify suspected online predators, then continued monitoring the ads after the operation ended, Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan said in a statement.
Police said McCarthy responded to one of the ads on March 29 and began communicating with an undercover officer posing as a 12-year-old girl. Over the next eight months, he allegedly attempted multiple times to persuade the girl to run away from home and live with him in Greeley.
According to the department, McCarthy was arrested when he arrived at a pre-arranged location in Aurora to meet the child for sex. Officers recovered a loaded handgun from the front seat of his vehicle, police reported.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could receive a reward of up to $2,000.
The Aurora Internet Crimes Against Children Unit is part of the Colorado Cyber Guardian Task Force, a partnership of local, state and federal agencies that targets child exploitation and child sex trafficking.