Police: Man Used Kik Messaging App To Extort Girl, 13

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A Bartow County resident has been arrested and charged with extorting a 13-year-old Florida girl in an effort to get her to send him nude photos.

Detectives with Florida’s Polk County Sheriff’s Office’s Computer Crimes unit obtained arrest warrants for Steven Wayne Reid, 31, of Acworth on one count each of threats of extortion, unlawful use of two-way communication device, use of a computer to seduce a child and transmission of material harmful to minor.

Florida detectives issued the arrest warrants on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and Bartow County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Reid at his home without incident.

According to Florida officials, a 13-year-old Polk County student on Thursday, Nov. 5 told a school resource deputy that she was contacted the day before on Kik, an instant messaging app, by someone claiming to be a 14-year-old girl named “Laura.”

The 13-year-old girl told authorities that “Laura” was allegedly extoring her to send nude images through the app. According to an affidavit, soon after “Laura” initiated the conversation with the 13-year-old, she sent the victim an image of a Facebook profile with the victim’s picture on it.

“Laura” reportedly told the teen that she was planning to make a Facebook profile using her photo. The suspect, who told the teen, “I can’t stand you at school,” told the teen that she wanted to see a photo of her bra and if she complied with that request, she would leave her alone.

“But if you refuse then I’ll do something crazy like make a Facebook saying you hate [derogatory term for African-Americans],” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said, quoting what “Laura” allegedly told the victim. “If you tell anyone then I’ll also do it. I can wait until you ready.”

Over the course of the day, the suspect allegedly continued to send messages to the victim coercing her to send a photo of herself wearing a bra, threatening to make the fake Facebook page public and threatening to email the victim’s school principal with a vulgar phrase from the victim.

The suspect then sent the victim a screen shot of her school’s website to prove that the suspect knew where the victim went to school and further convincing the victim that the suspect was also a teenage girl who goes to that school.

“Laura” gave the teen a 10 p.m. deadline to send a photo of her bra. According to sheriff’s deputies, the suspect also became increasingly demanding, threatening and hostile during the hours leading up to the deadline.

Around 9:30 p.m., after several messages back and forth during which the victim “tried to appease the suspect by sending fully-clothed selfies and a photo of a bra laying on the floor, the victim eventually sent the suspect a photo of herself wearing a sports bra and panties,” the sheriff’s office said.

The suspect then demanded a nude photo, a request the teen refused. The suspect then allegedly said, “I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’m 30. You can’t fool me hahaha. I’m not gonna stop until all these pics are everywhere.”

The victim told the suspect he was a ”creepy stalker guy,” to which the suspect replied he was a teacher at her school and “that he would pull her into his classroom and sexually batter her,” the sheriff’s office said.

Additionally, the suspect also allegedly said told the teen that he’d bring a gun to school and “kill us both.”

“I’m desperate,” the suspect allegedly said via the app. “Take a [nude] pic and you won’t have any trouble.”

The suspect then allegedly sent the victim a video depicting an adult male rubbing his exposed genitals.

After the victim reported the incident, Polk County sheriff’s detectives were able to identify the KIK username and cell phone used during the conversations as allegedly belonging to Reid. They subsequently obtained the arrest warrant, and Reid was taken into custody at his home by Bartow County officials.

Bartow County investigators obtained a search warrant for Reid’s home and while they were making entry, officials allegedly observed Reid removing the battery from his cell phone and attempting to get rid of the SIM card, Polk County said.

A search of Reid’s room also revealed handwritten notes with the KIK username on it and other references to KIK users. After he was read his Miranda rights, Reid allegedly admitted to extorting the Polk County girl and that he knew she was under the age of 18.

“He said his goal of threatening her was to get her to send him nude photos of herself,” the sheriff’s office said, adding he also admitted to trying to destroy his phone and any accompanying evidence when Bartow investigators arrived at his doorstep.

Reid’s cell phone and computer were seized, and Bartow and Polk detectives, as well as Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents, are conducing forensic analysis on both at this time.

“This man, sitting in his house in north Georgia, pretended to be a juvenile on social media to befriend, and then threaten, extort, and solicit, a young Polk County girl,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “As scary as that was for the victim, we are so proud her for immediately telling our deputy. We are afraid there are other juveniles Steve Reid has victimized - the investigation is ongoing, and he will be charged accordingly.”

Additional charges are pending the outcome of the investigation and Reid remains at the Bartow County Jail.

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Photo credit: Polk County Sheriff’s Office/Bartow County Jail