LAPD: Man Who Posed As 17-Year-Old, Sexually Assaulted Teens He Met Online Believed To Have More Victims
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A 22-year-old man police say posed as a teenager in order to meet minors and sexually assault them may have more victims.
Princeton Bloome was arrested on June 25 and has been charged with several felony counts for crimes against children. He is being held on $850,000 bail and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Sept. 30.
LAPD officials say Bloome posed as a 17-year-old, used false identities and made up stories about his lifestyle. After forming online relationships with teens, he would meet them in person and sexually assault them, according to police.
The latest incidents happened this year. In May, Bloome allegedly met a 16-year-old online in West Los Angeles, then sexually assaulted the teen when they met in person. In January, police say Bloome assaulted a 13-year-old in the North Hollywood area, then threatened the teen and the teen's family.
Bloome also faces charges in the 2018 sexual assault of a 13-year-old in the Topanga area. After they met online, police say he lured the teen to a place where the sexual assault happened. According to investigators, Bloome used threats against the teen and the teen's family in order to meet again several times during a one-month period.
Detectives are asking for the public's help to identify any more victims and are asking anyone who believes they are a victim to come forward. Anyone with information about Bloome can contact LAPD North Hollywood Sexual Assault Detective Perez or Officer Rico at (818) 754-8453 and (818) 754-8436.