Police: NJ Man Facing Sexual Assault Charges Used Social Media App To Lure 12-Year-Old Victim
HAMILTON Twp., NJ (CBS) – Police are investigating an alleged sexual assault on a 12-year-old boy in Hamilton Township.
Police say an investigation revealed the victim was contacted through the social media site Kik, which is a free messaging app.
Authorities say 23-year-old Aaron Johnson Jr. met the victim somewhere in Mays Landing when the assault occurred.
Police say Johnson was charged with 1st degree aggravated sexual assault, 2nd degree luring and 3rd degree endangering the welfare of a child.
Officials say he was also charged with a second count of 2nd degree luring and 3rd degree endangering the welfare of a child for another victim, a 17-year-old boy, who was also contacted through Kik.
Johnson was lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on $300,000 bail.
Kik released a statement to CBSPhilly, saying that the safety and security of its users are extremely important to the social media site. Kik says it actively cooperates with law enforcement and government agencies in investigations. The site also provides information to users and parents through its Help Center, along with a parent guide to provide information about how parents can help teens to have a safe experience on the site.
The company also notes that, unlike some other smartphone instant messengers, Kik uses usernames to identify users instead of phone numbers. Kik says this is designed to ensure personal information like cell phone numbers and email addresses are not compromised through the site.
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