Texas man charged for explicit messages to Kent County child

GCREDITED WITH PREVENTING AYOUNG GIRL FROM FALLING VICTIMTOA SEXUAL PREDATOR ONLINE....TONIGHT WE'RE HEARING FORM THEPARENTS WHO HOPE SPEAKING OUTWILL PREVENT THIS FROMHAPPENING TO OTHER KIDS.KARA"this was literally one of mywors tfears."KARA AND BENJAMIN HAVEEDUCATED THEIR KIDS ON CYBERSAFETY.

TALKED TO THEM AT LENGTHABOUT STRANGER DANGER ONLINE.THEY EVEN PERIODICALLYCHECK THEIR DEVICES.

BUT.UNFORTUNATELY.

LIKE THOUSANDSOF PARENTS YEARLY.

THEY WERESHOCKED.

TO FIND OUT WHAT WASGOING ON ON THEIR 12-YEAROL-DDAUGHTER'S YOUTUBE PAGE IN JUNEOF LAST AYER.BEN"on her YouTube app there werelike 75-80 notifications.

And Iwent 'well that's kind of oddthat there would be that many.'"BEN"we looked at it and as soon aswe saw the messages, we knew.that it wasn't a goodthing." THE MESSAGES.

LATERLINKED TO 58- YEAR-OLD JAMESWEAN OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS.

THE TWOSTARTED TALKING WHEN THE 12-YEAR-OLD RESPONDED TO O OFNEWEAN'S COMMENTS.

ON ACHRISTIAN MUSIC VIDEO.

"I canfeel your hugs all the way inTEXAS."You have a ton of love in yourlil' 12-yearold body!

LOL I'm so happy wemet.""Ithought texting would be easier,but I have afeeling your parents might notapprove ofthat." HE GOES ON.

"Sex iskindaaddicting.

Like strawberrieswith sugar!" AND MORE MESSAGES.TOO EXPLICIT FOR US TO AIR.

KARAAND BENJAMIN IMMEDIATLEYREACHED OUT TO THE KENT COUNTYSHERIFF'S OFFICE.

WHO TOOK OVERTHE GIRL'S MESSAGING APP.

ANDRAN A STING ON WEAN.KARA"educating my kids really sortof wasn't enough".KARA"it was obviously sho ckto meespecially.

And then that sortofm oved oninto 'how could thishappen?'"ACCORDING TO THE 'NATIONAL CNETER FORMISSING AN EXPLOITEDCHILDREN' .

CASES OF ENTICEMENT.THE SAME CHARGE WEAN PLEADEDGUILTY TO.

INCREASED 97.5%BETWEEN 2019 AND 2020.

78% OFREPORTED CASES WERE FEMALE.

KIDSWERE HOME AND SPENT MORE TIMEONLINE.

KARA AND BENJAMIN.

GLADTHEY KEPT A WATCHFUL EYE.THEY SAY.

SO ARE THEIR KIDS.

BEN"they've kind of realized it'sto help them.

Because we're ntotrying to gothrough all their stuff and alltheir privacy,but you still have to look forthe signs."KARA"it obviously could've been wayworse.

So I'm glad that werealized what wasgoing on before it was toolate."WEAN WAS SENTENCED TO TEN YEARSIN PRISON.WE ALSO LEARNED THAT HE WASCONVICTED ON A SEPARATE ONLINESEX CRIME OUT OF TEXAS IN 2013.BUT WAS EXONERATED ON ATECHNICALITY IN 2017 AFTERSERVING A FRACTION OF HISSENTENCE.ONLINE INFIGHTING -- BETWEEN TWO