Court Watching: Conn. man arrested for enticing VBT teen, producing child porn

Rondell Lowell Cook, 28, is being held in a federal lockup awaiting trial on charges of producing child pornography, online enticement of a minor, receiving and possessing child pornography, and interstate travel with the intent to engage in a sex act with a child.
On Dec. 2, at about 3:30 p.m., Van Buren Township Police received a report of a missing 15-year-old female. The family gave police the number to the teen’s cell phone and advised police that she had been overheard talking on the phone to an unknown person and asking, “Is the room ready?”
VBT police contacted the teen’s cell phone provider who provided the location information of the South Interstate-94 Service Drive and Belleville Road. Police called Super 8 Motel near that intersection and were told a female matching that description was in room 112 with an unidentified male.
Special Agent for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit, Jay V. Ratermann produced the criminal complaint to present to U.S. Magistrate Judge Mona K. Majzoub. The details of Cook’s apprehension were reported to him by VBT police.
Special Agent Ratermann is currently assigned to the Michigan Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and, along with other agents, is responsible for enforcing federal criminal statutes involving the sexual exploitation of children pursuant to Title 18, U.S. Code.
VBT police officers said they knocked on the door of room 112 and a male, later identified as Cook, answered the door. Police said he was shirtless, shoeless, belt undone, and the zipper of his pants was completely down. A pair of men’s underwear was seen on the floor.
The missing teen was found in the bathroom, fully clothed and wearing a black leather collar. Police also found a black leather whip, black leather paddle, black leather wrist/leg restraints, ball gag, black leather leash, and a black rope.
The bed next to the window was messy, with blankets and sheets tossed about on the bed and partially on the floor.
Also found in the room was a receipt and itinerary from Greyhound Lines, Inc., for one-way travel by bus from Bridgeport, CT to Ypsilanti in the name of Rondell Cook. The itinerary shows a departure from Bridgeport, CT at 7 p.m. Dec. 1, arriving in Ypsilanti at 2:20 p.m., Dec. 2.
Police also found the teen’s cell phone and Cook’s cell phone. The teen’s parent had given permission to investigate the cell phone and police found a copy of the teen’s ninth-grade high school class schedule, which she had forwarded to Cook to coordinate their meeting.
After hearing his Miranda Rights, Cook told police he had nude photos of the teen on his phone. They had met on a social media application and he and the teen have been communicating for the past couple of months on a daily basis. He said he purchased a bus ticket for $65 and it took him approximately 25 hours to get to Michigan.
Cook told police he didn’t know how old the teen was until he got her class schedule when she was already enroute to the hotel. He said he ordered a “Lyft” car to pick her up and transport her to the hotel, where she arrived at about 4 p.m.
He told police his plans were to take her out to eat, come back to the room, watch television, and whatever happens, happens, including sex. He was scheduled to return to Connecticut at about 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3. He said his underwear was off when police arrived because he was going to take a shower.
A Homeland Security forensic analyst has located four videos on Cook’s cell phone with pornographic images of the teen. There were about 29,000 messages exchanged between Cook and the teen, many of a sexual nature.
Cook’s initial appearance in federal court was Dec. 4 and his detention hearing was Dec. 5. His court-appointed attorney from the Federal Defender Office was Stacey M. Studnicki.
The sentences on these charges, if found guilty, could be up to life in prison.