COLLIN COUNTY, Texas — Texas law enforcement arrested a 27-year-old man Saturday after they said he drove more than 900 miles to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old girl and take her back to Minnesota.
The Collin County Sheriff's Office Child Exploitation Unit (CEU) arrested Richard Jenkins, II, of Bricelyn, Minn., on a charge of online solicitation of a minor–sexual conduct, officials announced Thursday.
According to CEU, Jenkins made clear in an online chat with an undercover CEU investigator, who was posing as a 15-year-old girl in McKinney, that he had intentions to meet and engage in sexual activity.
In the chat, he said he had intentions of taking her back to Minnesota and told the girl to tell her parents that she would be staying for a week at a camp in his home state.
Collin County deputies arrested Jenkins in a local park on Saturday and processed him into the Collin County Detention Facility.
“Please diligently monitor your children’s online activities," said Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner. "This man drove 12 straight hours with the intent to pick up a 15-year-old child so he could drive her out of state and sexually assault her. If you suspect that any person is communicating inappropriately with your child online, please report this matter to your nearest law enforcement agency. In Collin County, we will continue to work hard to hunt those who seek to prey upon our children.”
Jenkins' bond was set at $250,000 and he bonded out of jail as of Thursday.
