Miami man, 37, accused of preying on 12-year-old girl
MIAMI - A 37-year-old Miami man is facing several felony charges connected to improper conduct with a 12-year-old girl, including sexting, Miami Police said Friday.
On Thursday, the Miami Police Department's Special Victims Unit arrested Yosvany Fernandez Gonzalez.
Police contacted him from the victim's cellphone and convinced him to go to a Target at 3825 NW Seventh Court.
He is facing charges of lascivious conduct on a child, transmission of material harmful to minors by electronic device, prohibited use of a computer, meeting a minor through computer, four counts of child pornography.
He was booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and during a first appearance Friday Judge Mindy Glazer ordered him to house arrest if eh paid a $55,000 bond.
Earlier Thursday, a concerned mother went to the Miami Police South Station to report that her daughter had been engaging in explicit conversations with a man, according to the arrest report.
"This is an example of a mother that did the right thing," Officer Mike Vega said.
"If you are under the age of 18, it is illegal to be speaking with an adult about sexual content, exchanging nude or inappropriate pictures ."
The mother explained on Wednesday that the girl asked if she could go outside twice, police said.
When she told her no, the victim's behavior raised her suspicion, according to the police report. The mother took her phone and found inappropriate text conversations between the victim and what appeared to be a man, police said. The texts included several explicit images and nude videos of the man and girl.
Detectives confirmed the presence of explicit content on the victim's phone.
A detective spoke with the victim, who said she one month ago she had gone to the lobby of her building to meet her father when she ran into the man, who said he was 27.
She gave the man her phone number and a conversation ensued. The girl said the man "tried to meet her in person on multiple occasions but she was unable to go," according to the arrest report.
Posing as the victim, a detective communicated with Gonzalez and arranged to meet him at a Target.
Gonzalez allegedly continued to communicate by sending explicit texts and images.
When Gonzalez arrived at the agreed upon location, he was apprehended and his phone revealed explicit images of the victim.
"The Miami Police Department remains dedicated to protecting children from all crime and will work tirelessly to identify and bring those prey on the young to justice," Officer Michael Vega said in a news release. "Therefore, if you believe you were a victim targeted by Fernandez, we urge you to come forward.