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Internet cops arrest 5th suspect in 5 weeks --- Engineering student’s multiple aliases raise serious questions

Keeping up their incredible arrest-per-week pace, Wayne County Internet Deputies have arrested their fifth suspected pedophile in as many weeks, according to Sheriff Warren Evans. The arrest took place Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. across the street from a McDonald’s restaurant in Hamtramck, where the suspect was expecting to meet a 14-year old girl for sex. He was met by instead by several Sheriff deputies.

The suspect, Abdul Basit Malik, is a 27-year old Ann Arbor resident who was living at an apartment at Wayne State University, where he was in the final stages of his Masters Degree studies in engineering.

Of great concern to Evans is the fact that Malik appeared to be operating under several aliases. When officers executed search warrants on his Ann Arbor and Wayne State residences, they found multiple forms of identification under different names. The ID showed Malik as a resident of Syria, Pakistan, Michigan, Illinois and Texas.

"Of particular interest was a photograph of Mr. Malik found at his apartment that had a note on it that read, 'Al-Qaeda Militant - $50,000 reward'," Evans said. "We don’t know what that means at this point, but it is my understanding the Wayne County Prosecutor has contacted the FBI to bring this information to their attention."

Evans said he has also notified officials from the Immigration and Naturalization Services.

Evans said that he is alarmed by the frequency of the arrests his Internet officers have made since the unit was established on January 6th. Last night's arrest was the fifth in the five weeks since the unit made its first arrest on January 16th.

"Each arrest we make is more alarming to me and should be more alarming to parents of young girls," Evans said. "At this point there seems to be no slowdown in sight of men who are seeking to take advantage of 14-year old girls they meet on the Internet."

Malik was arraigned today in 31st District Court in Hamtramck.

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