Man Held in Explicit Text Messages

By Tracy Dash, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.

Jan. 24–A Benndale man has been charged with exploitation of a child after he sent sexually explicit text messages to the child’s cell phone, the George County Sheriff’s Department said Monday.

Deputies conducted a weeklong undercover operation against Jeremiah Smith, 21, after the child told them she received lewd messages on her cell phone. The child, deputies said, sent a message to Smith and turned her phone over to investigators. Deputies said Smith continued to send explicit text messages.

Sheriff Garry Welford said the complaint is one of several his office has received regarding similar incidents involving other people. He encourages parents to monitor text messages their children receive and report any explicit messages to law enforcement.

District Attorney Tony Lawrence, who serves Jackson, George and Greene counties, said, “I think this signals a new shift in criminal prosecution in this district, that we will try to catch people who are preying on children before they are successful.”

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