Keys man solicited young girls online for sex, police said
A 55-year-old Key West man was jailed Tuesday after police said he solicited girls as young as 12 online for sex.
Daniel Frederick West wanted to have sex with girls during a planned trip to the Philippines, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
West on Tuesday was locked up at the Stock Island Detention Center on $450,000 bond. He was arrested at his home at a trailer park in the 1200 block of 14th Street.
The Monroe County State Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case, FDLE said. West has a court date set for June 5.
FDLE made the arrest with help from Homeland Security Investigations and the Key West police department.
West was arrested on nine felony charges, including solicitation of minors via electronic devices, promotion of sexual acts by children and possession and transmission of child pornography.
FDLE’s probe started when agents received information about West’s online activity. Police found thousands of pages of documents, including Facebook conversations West had with children, they said.
“Between March 2018 and January 2019, West solicited individuals, attempting to have sexual relations with underage girls as young as 12 years old during a scheduled trip to the Philippines,” FDLE said in a news release Tuesday.
West “misrepresented his age” during some of these conversations and possessed videos and images depicting minors in sex acts, FDLE said.
West could face additional charges. The investigation is continuing, police said.
FDLE recommends this page for tips on keeping children safe online.
This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 5:14 PM.
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