A repeat sexual offender in Pennsylvania is now behind bars after police said he posed as a teen on Snapchat and carried out a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl.
It all started when the teenage victim started messaging 28-year-old Jerrell Carson. Police told Channel 11 he portrayed himself as a 15-year-old.
Carson has been a registered sex offender since 2015, and the victim’s aunt found him on Megan’s Law, which ultimately led police into this investigation.
According to court documents, Carson admitted to sneaking into the victim’s home for sexual activity in Wilkins Township. He now faces a number of charges including sexual assault and corruption of a minor.
Allegheny County police said that these types of cases are becoming all too familiar, and it doesn’t all start on social media.
“Parents sometimes think the gaming applications are okay, but if they have a chat window, a lot of predators will lure children in that way and pose as children and eventually will get them onto an app or with direct contact with text message and a phone,” said Lt. Jason Binder with Allegheny County police.
While Binder is not talking specifics on this case, he did talk about what parents should look out for when it comes to their kids.
“Parents need to be active in knowing what their kids have on their phones and on any electronics, because who they are talking to may not be who they think they are talking to and you have to stay active as a parent to protect your kids,” Binder said.
Binder said a lot of these cases wouldn’t be solved without the reports and help from parents.
“Search warrants can take time. A lot of criminals are good at disguising who they are or what applications they are using, so having cooperation is key,” Binder said.
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