Many people in Missouri may relate to leaving their Facebook accounts logged on by mistake, thereby giving anyone who may use the device access to the account. One girl borrowed her sister’s phone and logged into her own Facebook account. When she gave the phone back to her sister, she failed to log out of Facebook, causing her sister to become suspicious of possible internet sex crimes when she read messages contained in the account that was still showing on the phone.
The girl’s sister noticed messages that had apparently passed between the 16-year-old and a 38-year-old man online. The messages led the girl’s sister to believe that she had plans to meet the man to engage in sexual activities. The sister took pictures of the messages and forwarded them to the local sheriff’s office.
In June 2016, the man in question pleaded guilty for arranging unlawful sexual encounters with the 16-year-old girl and another, age 13. On a recent Monday, he was sentenced to more than 20 years behind bars. Upon release after the sentence is complete, he will under mandatory supervision for the rest of his life.
Missouri and all other states take incidents of possible internet sex crimes very seriously, especially when children are involved. Any person accused of committing such acts is also able to fight against the charges by enlisting the assistance of a criminal lawyer. Experienced attorneys are often able to secure reduced sentences on their clients’ behalves and otherwise help defendants to minimize the potential negative impacts the situations may have on their futures.
Source: news-leader.com, “Southwest Missouri man gets 24 years for arranging sex with teens“, Harrison Keegan, Sept. 22, 2016