Michigan Man Faces Charges for Obscene Texts to North Webster 10-Year-Old
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Kaitie Vanderpool-
A Michigan man was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail after allegedly attempting an online sexual relationship with a 10-year-old North Webster girl. The girl’s mother last month told a North Webster Police Department officer she found messages on her daughter’s tablet computer from a 44-year-old man, all of which were sexual in nature, according to an affidavit filed by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office. The woman told police she had searched for the phone number on the Internet and found it belonged to Robert Loren Northrop, 44, Niles, Mich. According to the affidavit, all the messages were sent to the 10-year-old girl June 3 and all were very sexual in nature, including some photos, with Northrop attempting to get the girl to either call or text him. An officer contacted the Niles, Mich. Police Department and found Northrop was a registered sex offender, convicted of criminal sexual conduct in Michigan in 1988. A Michigan state trooper then called the phone number Northrop had provided and left a message. When Northrop returned the call, he confirmed his Michigan address and informed the police the number he was calling from was his phone number. Officers then obtained a photograph of Northrop and compared it to one sent to the 10-year-old girl and it appeared to be the same person, according to the affidavit. On July 7, an officer used the number Northrop had provided and began texting him, pretending to be the young girl. Northrop allegedly requested the officer, who Northrop believed to be a girl, to send nude photos, eventually sending nude photos of himself to the officer and other sexual text messages. Northrop was arrested Tuesday afternoon and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail. He was charged preliminarily with child solicitation, disseminating matter harmful to minors and inappropriate communication with a child with prior sex offense conviction, all felonies; and misdemeanor inappropriate communication with a child. He was held on a $4,000 bond.
