Austin Altman of Pasco County, FL, was arrested on for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girl he met on social media site Snapchat.
Altman, 22, was charged with sexual battery on a victim under 12, interference with child custody, and violation of probation. He is being held in a Pasco County jail with no bond. The press did not name an attorney for him.
According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, police received a report on October 12 that a 10-year-old girl was missing. A family member told the police that the girl was last seen going to the bathroom at around 3 a.m. Her family called 911 at around 6:40 a.m. after they couldn’t find her.
Investigators learned from a friend of the 10-year-old that she was seen on Friday talking to a man in a red truck. The girl reportedly told her friends that was planning to run away with someone she met on Snapchat, according to the sheriff’s office.
Police also learned that a deputy had stopped a man in a red truck after someone had reported a suspicious vehicle near the girl’s home. The driver of the vehicle was allegedly identified as Altman, whose address is listed as the 16000 block of Tiger Trail Road in Pasco County.
Altman reportedly told detectives who arrived at his home that no one else was there, but a search revealed that the missing 10-year-old was in his bedroom.
He had allegedly held the girl down by the throat and raped her even though she told him to stop four times, the arrest report said. He later told investigators that he met the girl on Snapchat and had sex with her.
Court records show Atlman was on probation for an unrelated incident that occurred in 2012, when he was a juvenile. He may be facing additional charges.
Cases of sexual assault involving adults and minors aren’t uncommon in South Florida. Last week, James Cromwell Humphreys of Pinellas Park was arrested for allegedly sexually battering two minors.
Humphreys, 53, was charged with sexual battery, sexual battery of a child under the age of 12, and fleeing a law enforcement officer. He is being held on $860,000. Attorney information wasn’t available.
According to the arrest report, the alleged battery occurred at Humphreys’ home between September and December 2018. Humphreys allegedly performed oral sex on two boys, 10 and 12 years old, multiple times at his home.
Humphreys was reportedly a “neighborhood friend” of the two boys. He got them gifts and took them out to eat in an effort to develop a sexual relationship. He was arrested on October 10 after attempting to flee from police.
Court records show Humphreys was arrested on similar charges in 2007 and served 20 months in prison. Police think there may be more victims and are asking anyone with tips to contact the Pinellas Park Police Department.
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Source: 10.16.19 22-year-old man met the 10-year-old on Snapchat then he raped her.pdf