Man came 2,600 miles to see 15-year-old NC girl he met on Snapchat, sheriff says
A California man’s 2,600-mile trip to North Carolina became a felony affair when investigators concluded it was about meeting a 15-year-old girl he met online, according to the Union County arrest warrant.
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Deputies caught onto the “online dating relationship” Sunday, when someone called 911 to report “a disturbance in progress involving a male and female” at Dogwood Park in Wesley Chapel, the Union County Sheriff’s Office said in an Oct. 7 news release. The park is about a 25-mile drive southeast from uptown Charlotte.
“Upon arrival, deputies observed a juvenile female walking away from a truck occupied by 24-year-old Daniel Castillo of California. Castillo was initially charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor after deputies determined he had provided alcohol and vaping products to the juvenile,” the sheriff’s office said.
“As the investigation continued, Special Victims Unit detectives determined that Castillo and the juvenile had met through Snapchat and had communicated for several months before Castillo traveled to North Carolina to meet the juvenile.”
That conclusion led to Castillo being charged with felony solicitation of a child by computer to commit an unlawful act, officials said. A warrant reports the two were engaged in an “online dating relationship.”
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Castillo lives in Oxnard, California, about a 55-mile drive northwest from Los Ángeles.
“Search warrants have been obtained, and electronic devices are being examined as part of the investigation,” the sheriff’s office said.
“This case is also a reminder of the important role our community plays in keeping one another safe. A concerned citizen saw something that did not appear right and made the decision to call law enforcement. That call ultimately led deputies to uncover a much more serious situation.”
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