The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Florida man accused of a similar crime nearly a decade ago is facing new charges after he reportedly tried to take a 14-year-old boy he met online to an out-of-state “furry” convention without consent.
At the end of March, a 33-year-old man from Longboat Key, Florida, was reportedly in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He reported that he went there to see his boyfriend, but they did not meet up as planned.
The man went to a local Guitar Center store and reportedly unexpectedly ran into a teenager he had recently been talking to online. According to reports, the 14-year-old decided to accompany the man to Las Vegas so they could attend a furry convention together. According to Wikipedia, “A furry convention (also furry con or fur con) is a formal gathering of members of the furry fandom – people who are interested in the concept of fictional non-human animal characters with human characteristics. These conventions provide a place for fans to meet, exchange ideas, transact business and engage in entertainment and recreation centered on this concept.”
After the young man failed to come home when his mother expected, she went to Guitar Center where a manager reportedly told her they saw her son with a man they believed was homeless. She notified the authorities, and the Albuquerque Police Department opened an investigation and began to search for her son.
The boy did not go home that night, and the authorities collected information and surveillance videos to help them locate him. When viewing the footage from Guitar Center, they believed they identified the man with the teenager.
The police found the pair at a nearby coffee shop, and the man reportedly told them how the plan to take the teen to the convention developed unexpectedly. He also informed them that he was once accused of a sex crime involving a 13-year-old, but that the charges were dropped.
The boy reportedly told the police he knew the man from social media for a couple of years and confirmed their plans to attend the convention.
After searching the man’s electronic devices and personal belongings, the authorities reported that they did not have enough evidence to make an arrest. The investigation is ongoing.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.