RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — A citation filed by the Richmond Police Department revealed that a 25-year-old man was arrested on June 20 after police found that he sent explicit content to a decoy minor.
The citation detailed that a man, who is involved in a group to catch predators online, contacted the department regarding an individual, identified as Caleb Hughes, who had allegedly messaged the group's decoy account.
On June 17, the citation reported that Hughes messaged the account, and the group's decoy told Hughes "I'll be 15 in December." The decoy began providing officials with several screenshots of explicit messages from Hughes to the decoy.
One of the screenshots reveals that Hughes allegedly said "I sent you a little video if it'll send babe." Hughes proceeds to send the video that allegedly shows him performing explicit acts on himself, the citation details.
On June 20, Hughes allegedly messaged the decoy for a meet-up and discussed the time and place. The citation reads that at around 4:40 p.m. an officer came in contact with Hughes in a Best Western parking lot.
Hughes allegedly admitted to police that he was there to meet a 14-year-old, further explaining that "he was not going to have sex with the juvenile but he was going to talk to the juvenile because they were in foster care," the citation reads.
When the officer presented Hughes with the photos he allegedly sent to the decoy, he admitted to "messaging the juvenile about masturbating and about sex," according to the citation.
Hughes has been charged with procuring and promoting the use of a minor by electronic means and distribution of obscene matter to minors-first offense.
