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Officer Arrested For Offensive 'Talk' On MySpace

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Apr 20, 2007 7:08 am US/Central

Officer Arrested For Offensive 'Talk' On MySpace

OCALA, Fla. (AP) ― Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials arrested Matthew Wayne Edmonds, 32, a ten-year veteran with the Ocala, Fla. police, at his home on Thursday.

A 14-year-old girl notified authorities after she was contacted online in December by a man claiming to be a University of Florida student in his 20s. The man told the girl he wanted a ``new girl to support.''

The girl replied to the instant message and said she was 14, but the man then sent another message that said it was all right ``as long as she didn't tell anyone.''

The girl searched MySpace.com for the man's screen name after the chat and e-mailed authorities when his online profile displayed a picture of an older man.

Authorities then began to track several screen names and chatted with a man who they believed was Edmonds by using fake names, according to an arrest report. Eventually, authorities obtained a search warrant for his home.

Chief Sam Williams said his department has suspended Edmonds without pay. Edmonds has posted a $4,000 bond.

(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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