Albanian national Hasan Billa arrested in US on child exploitation charges

Hasan Billa, a 56-year-old Albanian national residing in Wolcott, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Boston on September 3. According to ICE, Billa was in the United States illegally.

The arrest follows a May 28 undercover operation conducted by the Hartford Police Department and an FBI Task Force targeting child exploitation and human trafficking. During the operation, an undercover detective posed as a 15-year-old girl online. Billa and two other men reportedly traveled to a predetermined location at a Best Western hotel in Hartford, believing they were meeting a minor for sexual activity.

Billa faces several pending state charges, including criminal attempt to commit second-degree sexual assault, criminal attempt to commit sexual abuse of a minor, and criminal attempt with injury involving sexual contact with a victim under the age of 16. The charges remain pending, and no conviction has been reached.