San Pedro: On January 10, 2017,
Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department, Juvenile
Division, Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, assigned to the
Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children(ICAC) Task
Force, served a search warrant at the Rancho Palos Verdes residence
of Daniel O’Connell. O’Connell is employed at Mary Star of the Sea
High School in San Pedro, California, as a physics teacher.
Investigators
initiated the investigation into O’Connell as a result of
information received from the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children (NCMEC) that O’Connell was having inappropriate
contact with minors that he met while on a mathematics tutoring
website. O’Connell was arrested for 311.11(a) P.C- Possession of
Child Pornography and booked at LAPD 77TH Regional Jail where he is
being held in lieu of $20,000.00 bail.
The Los Angeles Police Department is the principal agency for the
LA ICAC Task Force, a collaboration of 67 Federal State, and local
law enforcement agencies that detect and investigate child
predators who use the Internet as a means to contact
children.
Anyone with any additional information, or additional victims is
urged to contact the ICAC Officer in charge, Lieutenant Andrea
Grossman,(562) 624-4027. During non-business hours or on weekends,
calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone
wishing to remain anonymous should call the LA Regional Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to
www.lacrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may also visit
www.lapdonline.org, and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the
“Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip. Lastly,
tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and
select the LA Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.