CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. — Chelan County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a 19-year-old man, accused of coercing a teen into sending nude photos to him.
About a month and a half ago, Colorado Springs police contacted Chelan County after a mom said she found a sexually explicit text thread on her 14-year-old daughter’s phone. In it, a man said he was going to travel to Colorado to meet her.
After weeks of investigation, detectives identified John Vargas-Lopez as the suspect. He was arrested on Tuesday, April 8, near his home in Peshastin.
Phone records revealed a pattern of him posing as a teenage boy to get nude photos from teen girls over Instagram and Facebook.
Deputies say he had been communicating with the 14-year-old in Colorado since November.
Vargas-Lopez was booked into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center for sexual exploitation of a minor, communication with a minor for immoral purposes, and possession of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Deputies are looking for other possible victims.
Detective Sergeant Lewis with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office added, “This case is a stark reminder of the realities of social media. The fact is, predators are actively using social media to prey on children and sexually exploit them. CCSO Detectives are committed to identifying and arresting those in our community who seek to harm or exploit children. Meanwhile, it is imperative that parents talk to their children about how to safely use social media, establish age-appropriate boundaries for cell phone and social media use, and maintain supervision of their communications.”
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