Livonia Police Department's Undercover Resistance to Exploitation Unit focuses on investigating child exploitation cases. A Chicago man who works as a maintenance worker at a high school contacted an undercover investigator posing as a 15-year-old boy on a dating app.

The conversation became sexually explicit, and the man arranged to meet the person he believed was a teen at Beverly Park in Livonia. Investigators used law enforcement databases to identify him.

Flock helps confirm the vehicle’s travel

As the meetup approached, investigators used Flock license plate reader camera detections to help confirm the suspect’s vehicle traveled from Illinois into Michigan. Those detections helped officers prepare for the planned meeting at the park.

The arrest

Officers arrested the suspect at Beverly Park as soon as he exited his vehicle. According to the criminal complaint, he told investigators he believed he was meeting a 15-year-old boy.

He is charged with traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The unit's undercover work, supported by Flock, helped officers locate and arrest the suspect before he could meet the person he believed was a child.