Police: Baltimore County Man Used Popular App To Lure Young Girls
BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) -- A warning for parents: predators continue to target a popular kids' app to connect with your children. The latest case involves a Baltimore County man police say was soliciting young girls.
Rick Ritter has more on the case and what parents need to know.
Police arrested an Essex man they say was targeting young girls on Craigslist and getting them to contact him on Kik. It's not the first time the popular app has been making headlines---but for all of the wrong reasons.
Police say 31-year-old Roy Evans Jr. was engaged in sexual acts with a 14-year-old girl for months after the two connected on a popular kids' app known as Kik, which has been at the center of several recent cases.
"It's very scary. You don't know what these children are doing," said one.
In February, a teacher's aide in Prince George's County was charged with child pornography and sending nude photos to kids through the same app.
"A relative of one of the victims discovered a photograph on the child's phone," said Rod Rosenstein, US attorney.
Investigators also believe Kik was used in the gruesome death of Nicole Lovell. The 13-year-old used the app to communicate with her accused killer---a Virginia Tech student and Howard County native---before she was murdered.
"They're animals just on the prowl for their next Nicole," Nicole's mother said via phone.
In 2014, police say Kik led a 12-year-old girl in Perry Hall to the man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted her. Investigators say predators are typically targeting apps on their phone like Kik, where they can send messages and pictures but still remain anonymous.
"It can absolutely happen to anyone and it's happening all over the state," Ladonna Morgan, Baltimore Child Abuse Center.
The Baltimore Child Abuse Center says parents need to step up.
"Ultimately, I feel like it's the adult's responsibility to protect kids," she said.
She adds they need to be more vigilant before it's too late.
"You should monitor all your child's online activity, know who their friends are," Morgan said.
Evans Jr. was arrested in Montgomery County. Investigators there believe there may be more victims, specifically in the Baltimore area where he's from. They're asking anyone with information to come forward.
Evans was released from jail after posting a $150,000 bond. He faces three counts of third-degree sex offense.
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