Maryland man accused of raping 12-year-old he met on social media app
A 20-year-old man is accused of raping a 12-year-old girl whom he met on the social media app Snapchat in Baltimore County, according to charging documents obtained by WJZ.
Jason Arnold, from Forest Hill, Maryland, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree rape of a child and four counts of second-degree rape without consent. He is being held in jail without bond.
Documents detail alleged rape
Arnold allegedly picked the girl up at her home and took her to the Wawa on North Point Boulevard in Dundalk, parking behind the dumpster on two separate occasions.
The first interaction, on Sunday, Nov. 16, was interrupted by the girl's brother after family members traced her location to the Wawa, charging documents revealed.
The second time, the next day, Arnold allegedly put the seats of his silver Lexus down and brought the victim into the back seat, where he kissed her and touched her inappropriately before having sex with her. When the girl tried to stop him, he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex.
Prior rape charge
Arnold was charged with rape in Harford County in 2024.
Details surrounding that arrest were not immediately available.
Warning about social media
Dr. Jennifer Golbeck, with the University of Maryland College of Information, says social media has made it easier for sexual predators to find victims.
"It's a place where people who are vulnerable can be reached on scale," Golbeck said. "So if you're a predator or scammer, it's not like there is one person you are targeting. You go for a while bunch of people, and because there are so many targets, it's fairly easy to find someone susceptible or vulnerable or going to fall for a scam that you're pushing."
Golbeck said that even though social media platforms have safety measures in place to prevent this sort of thing, parents should keep an eye on what their children are doing online.
"It's really important that kids are able to communicate on these platforms because they are a vital part of the social experience of kids right now, and they can give them support and community that they wouldn't be able to find otherwise," Golbeck said. "But the parents need to be involved in keeping their kids safe while also giving them the freedom that they need."