MATTYDALE MAN ACCUSED OF RAPE; HE MET A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL ON THE INTERNET AND THEY HAD SEX, OFFICIALS SAY.(Local)

Byline: Pedro Ramirez III Staff writer

A 23-year-old Mattydale man was arrested last week after being accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl he met on the Internet.

Brandon J. Brutcher, of 239 Richfield Blvd., faces felony charges of

second-degree rape and second-degree criminal sexual act, and misdemeanor charges of third-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child, said Sgt. John D'Eredita, an Onondaga County sheriff's spokesman.

Brutcher was arraigned Friday in North Syracuse Village Court. He is in the Justice Center jail in lieu of $15,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond. Because the girl was living in Cayuga County when the relationship began, the Onondaga County agency has given information to the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office for its investigation, D'Eredita said.

The Onondaga County arrest came the same week that a 31-year-old Glens Falls man was accused of raping a 15-year-old Fulton girl he met online. In that case, state police charged Joel H. Steinhoff, 31, with third-degree rape and third-degree criminal sexual act (felonies), and endangering the welfare of a child (a misdemeanor).

It is not uncommon for sexual predators to target children using the Internet. Children have been approached in chat rooms, while instant messaging, on e-mail, in game rooms and on message boards, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. About 65 percent of incidents happen in chat rooms and 24 percent through instant messaging, the center said.

Brutcher and the 14-year-old girl first met online in August, D'Eredita said. The girl then gave Brutcher directions to her home in Cayuga County, where they met and engaged in sexual activity, he said.

Since then, the girl and her family have moved to Onondaga County. Brutcher and the girl continued their relationship until the girl's mother found out and called the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, D'Eredita said.

To keep children safe

The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office advises parents to closely monitor Internet activity to help prevent predators from targeting their children. Tips include:

Place computer in an area where you can easily monitor activity.

Teach children not to give out personal information.

Supervise your child's chat-room activity and only allow them in monitored chat rooms.

Block instant/personal messages from strangers.

Monitor the time your child spends online.

Stay in the room to monitor the screen.

Don't let your child have an online profile. (Your child won't be listed in directories, which lessens the chance of being targeted.)

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, in partnership with the Ad Council, launched a campaign this year to raise awareness of online predators. Go to www.ncmec.org.

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