Bend man jailed in online luring case; ’14-year-old girl’ was officer
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A 25-year-old Bend man was arrested and jailed Saturday on several charges, accused of using a social media app to have a sexual conversation with, send explicit photos to and arrange to meet someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl -- but actually was a police officer.
A Bend officer on Saturday identified the man as using the social media app to try to contact someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl, but was actually an officer, Sgt. Joe Pacheco said, adding that the man also agreed to bring marijuana to a meeting.
Officers located the man near the arranged meeting location around 1:45 p.m., but he ran and was caught near the intersection of Northeast Ninth Street and Lafayette Avenue, Pacheco said. He was taken into custody with the help of a Deschutes County sheriff’s deputy.
The suspect was found to possess user amounts of cannabis and a Schedule 2 controlled substance, the sergeant said.
He was booked into the county jail on charges of luring a minor for sexual conduct, solicitation, first-degree online sexual corruption of a child, delivery of marijuana to a minor, delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and a probation violation.
"This investigation is a reminder that social media platforms are used regularly for adults to try and connect with under-aged individuals," Pacheco said in a news release. "Regular observation of juveniles’ social media accounts is advised, to minimize the likelihood of unwanted contacts from adults."
