Clay County investigators arrested a 32-year-old Jacksonville man Friday that they claim made fake online profiles posing as a boy to lure preteen girls into having sex.
The man is charged with using a computer to solicit a child for sex, transmission of material harmful to a minor and making harassing telephone calls.
Deputies have accused him of contacting two female preteen victims and trying to persuade them into having sex.
Investigators claim the man admitted to making several fake online profiles, pretending to be a boy, then used those profiles to solicit young girls for sex — both online and on the phone.
According to the warrant against the man, one victim told investigators the man asked her for sex and for nude pictures of her via Facebook. She also alleges that he made a lewd phone call to her, according to the warrant. Investigators reported that they have another witness who claims to have received a similar obscene phone call from Meadows.
The man was booked into the Clay County Jail on $150,012 bond.
Sex crimes accusations are quite serious and the penalties attached to a conviction can be life changing. Certain sex crime convictions require the individual to register as a sexual offender. These include convictions involving minors, like this case, as well as sexual battery and rape, and sexual misconduct.
Sexual offenders and predators must report to the local sheriff’s office and provide personal information, including a home address, employment information, school information, email addresses and IP addresses, as well as other criminal information. Sexual offenders are required to re-register two or four times a year, depending on the conviction. Per Florida federal law, even registered sex offenders who are only visiting, attending school or working in Florida on a temporary basis, and reside outside the state, must register as sexual offenders in Florida.
If you or someone you care about has been charged with a sex offense in the Jacksonville area, contact a Clay County Criminal Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton online or call 866-608-5529. It is critical to the outcome of your case to start your defense as soon as possible.