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.
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