A 22-year-old Lake City man was arrested Thursday after allegations arose that he sent more than 2,000 sexually oriented texts to a Canadian minor.
The man was charged with transmission of obscene or harmful material to minors.
The case apparently started on Feb. 27 when the 11-year-old child’s mother informed Ontario police that her child was receiving sexually explicit text messages from an adult male.
An officer with the Peel Regional Police Service in Canada uncovered that the child met the man through an online video game. Police allege that from Feb. 3-11, more than 2,000 texts were exchanged. Some of the texts apparently included photos.
Peel police tracked the text messages to the Lake City man and contacted the Lake City Police Department for assistance.
LCPD tracked the man down and arrested him at his workplace.
LCPD claim the man confessed to sending the texts and knowing the age of the child.
In the state of Florida, transmission of harmful material to a minor is defined any electronic communication sent to a recipient under the age of 18 that displays or depicts obscene material. Obscene or harmful material represents any type of nudity, sexual conduct or sexual arousal. This crime can be carried out in a variety of ways – via text message, also known as “sexting,” online through chat room conversations or emails, in person or even through good old fashioned snail mail.
Florida laws have established that transmission of material harmful to a minor is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison for every image that is transmitted. This means that anyone accused of sending obscene material to a minor can be prosecuted for numerous counts on the same series of images sent to a child under the age of 18. If a large amount of material was sent, like in the case mentioned above, the counts can add up quite quickly. If you or someone you know is facing charges related to the transmission of obscene or harmful material to minors, you should talk to a Florida Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton right away.
Sexting, luring, enticing or soliciting a minor are all very serious charges. If you have been charged with transmitting obscene or harmful material to a child, a Florida Sex Crimes Defense Attorney at Whittel & Melton can help you develop a powerful defense strategy so that you can achieve a successful outcome for your case.
For a free initial consultation, please call us statewide and toll-free at 866-608-5529 or contact us online. We can begin assisting you immediately, so do not delay!