VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A Port Orange man was arrested after deputies say he tried to lure a child using a popular social media app.
Deputies arrested 32-year-old Terrance Hughes on Thursday after a two-month-long investigation.
According to investigators, Hughes sent sexual messages to a 15-year-old girl in an attempt to meet in person and have sex.
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Detectives said the messages were discovered when the teen’s mother searched her daughter’s phone.
After the mother contacted deputies, an undercover detective posing as the teen began texting Hughes.
According to the sheriff’s office, Hughes made several comments about wanting to meet, while encouraging the teen to send sexually explicit images of herself, not knowing he was speaking with a detective.
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Detectives were able to identify Hughes after he sent two photos of himself to the victim’s phone.
Hughes was arrested at his home Thursday and charged with soliciting a child for unlawful sexual conduct.
Detectives want to know if Hughes has more victims. They ask anyone who has information about possible additional victims to contact the Sheriff’s Office’s Child Exploitation Unit at 386-323-3574.
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The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has several resources available for parents on how to keep children safe online, which can be found here.
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