A 27-year-old Missouri man is under arrest after traveling to Sanger to have sex with a 15-year-old girl he met while playing Xbox Live on the Internet.
Edward Stout of Missouri met the girl over a year ago while playing Xbox Live. She was only 14-years-old at the time and the two began an online relationship at that time. They would chat over Xbox Live and MySpace and then on her 15th birthday, Stout gave the girl a cell phone so they could have more private conversations. The two sent over 1,000 text messages, some with sexually explicit language and photos.
On January 26th, Stout traveled across state lines to engage in sexual relations with the underage girl from Sanger. Stout now faces federal charges of coercion of a minor over the internet and traveling across state lines to engage in sex with a minor.
Stout was arrested at a motel after the girl’s father found out he was in California and called the police.
CBS47 On Your Side has some tips parents can use to keep their kids safe.
- Put the video game console in a public place in the house; children are more likely to be on their best behavior when others are around
- Be familiar with what your children use the game console for
- Have your children set up an account for you, so you know how to use and monitor it
- Be suspicious of late night use; it usually means children are up to no good
