Kent Police warns parents after arrest of online predator targeting teenager
Dec 9, 2024, 11:06 AM
A Kent Police Departemnt vehicle. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A 35-year-old man from Seattle was arrested on felony charges of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes after a Kent Police Department (KPD) investigation found evidence of the suspect sending sexually explicit messages to the victim.
Kent Police found that the child met the suspect while trick or treating earlier this year. According to KPD, the man said he thought the victim was pretty and got her cell phone number. The teenager and the 35-year-old man texted back and forth for approximately a week before the suspect suggested they meet up to engage in “sexual activity.” It was at this point in their conversation when a parent discovered the messages.
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KPD is now bringing the incident to light to send a warning to other parents to check their children’s electronic devices and make sure they’re safe.
“It seems obvious to us as adults not to give random strangers our phone numbers or addresses, and not to try to meet up with someone we barely know,” KPD stated in a release about the incident. “But kids lack our experience and think differently.”
According to the Child Crime Prevention and Safety Center, there are an estimated 500,000 online predators active each day. More than 50% of the victims of online sexual exploitation are between the ages of 12 and 15, according to the FBI, while an estimated 89% of sexual advances directed at children occur in internet chatrooms or through instant messaging.
In a press release, KPD offered tips and reminders to all parents to think of their child’s cell phone, iPad, laptop and other similar devices as windows in their home that provide access to their child.
“You would not leave your windows open to allow just anyone to sneak inside,” police said. “Don’t leave your screens unguarded either. Talk to your kids, check their phones frequently and put safeguards on their devices.”
KidsHealth.org and UNICEF offer many other tips and information for parents and kids, including warning signs that a child is being targeted by an online predator. These can include:
- Spending long hours online, especially at night
- Phone calls from people you don’t know
- Unsolicited gifts arriving in the mail
- Your child suddenly turning off the computer or other device when you walk into the room
- Withdrawal from family life and reluctance to discuss online activities
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Kent police tracked the adult suspect to a Seattle address and developed probable cause to arrest him. Seattle Police made the arrest and the suspect is facing felony charges, as of this reporting.
Contributing: Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest
Luke Duecy is a reporter, editor and anchor at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Luke’s stories here. Follow Luke on X, or email him here
