Father captures man who wooed his 15-year-old daughter via Facebook

[Hum]

SPOKANE, WA ?  A father who discovered his 15-year-old daughter was being wooed on Facebook by a man twice her age took matters into his own hands.

He hatched a Facebook ruse that drew the 30-year-old Federal Way man to Spokane earlier this month. Then the father and a couple of his buddies staked out the arranged meeting spot and blocked the man's escape until police arrived.

The Spokesman-Review (http://bit.ly/190xaXm ) reports that the suspect, identified in court documents as Jason D. Richards, faces charges of child rape and attempted kidnapping in Spokane County Superior Court. He is jailed on a $100,000 bond.

The newspaper did not publish the name of the girl or her family.

The relationship began in April through a Facebook dating application called "Are You Interested" and was discovered earlier this month by the parents, court records show.

Richards and the girl exchanged hundreds of Facebook messages, communicated via YouTube, met face-to-face in May and then made plans to elope, court records show.

When the girl's parents discovered the relationship on June 7, they took their daughter's computer and locked her out of her Facebook account.

The mother then continued to message the man, posing as her daughter, and persuaded him to go through with the runaway plan. When he arrived at the family's Spokane home in the early hours of June 8, the girl's father and two of his friends were waiting for him in an alley behind the house. They held him until police arrived.
 

from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com

[NeoTrunks]

Awesome. Too bad they didn't kick his ass too.

[astropheed Veteran]

 

 

 faces charges of child rape and attempted kidnapping in Spokane County Superior Court

 

When did this happen? I must have missed that part.

[Hum]

^ Maybe he had her 'do things' on-cam.

[astropheed Veteran]

^ Maybe he had her 'do things' on-cam.

 

And that's rape and/or attempted kidnapping?

[Hum]

^ Could be considered statutory rape -- I am not a lawyer.

 

The attempted kidnapping part is of course, from attempting to elope with the girl.

 

And of course, the charges may not stand up in court.

[Azies]

He probably has previous charges on him.

[Hum]

:p Should have had him on hand ...

 

[Skin]

When did this happen? I must have missed that part.

 

"hundreds of Facebook messages, communicated via YouTube, met face-to-face in May and then made plans to elope"

 

I'm guessing then.

[astropheed Veteran]

"hundreds of Facebook messages, communicated via YouTube, met face-to-face in May and then made plans to elope"

 

I'm guessing then.

 

Clearly.

 

Anyways, I'm not condoning this practice I'm just pointing out a gap in the story. If it was a reasonable relationship without rape or kidnapping then I don't have an issue with a 15 year old dating a 30 year old if they are both aware of the social problems arising from that. I don't say this to justify myself ever doing that -- as I wouldn't -- but, getting rape and kidnapping charges is a big deal, and if it's only because he flirted with her then I think that's a tad extreme.

 

They probably had 'consensual' sex and he's been tried for statutory rape. The attempted kidnapping charge is interesting though...

[Skin]

Clearly.

 

Anyways, I'm not condoning this practice I'm just pointing out a gap in the story. If it was a reasonable relationship without rape or kidnapping then I don't have an issue with a 15 year old dating a 30 year old if they are both aware of the social problems arising from that. I don't say this to justify myself ever doing that -- as I wouldn't -- but, getting rape and kidnapping charges is a big deal, and if it's only because he flirted with her then I think that's a tad extreme.

 

They probably had 'consensual' sex and he's been tried for statutory rape. The attempted kidnapping charge is interesting though...

 

Well, removing a minor against the will of the parent is kidnapping, so it is a small leap there. Quick story... I had a friend that turned 18. His girlfriend was under 18. He picked her up one day and they decided together to drive to the next state and spend time together - consensually. The police got him, as the parents called the cops. he was arrested for kidnapping and went to the big house until it all got sorted out in court.

 

I remember him crying to me before the trial. It was consensual, and I even hung out with them before, and they were one of those 'in love couples', but because the age, her parents took advantage of the law and boom.

 

Now, I am torn because 15 and 30 is a BIG difference in age, and I more wonder why (well, we know why) the 30 year old was hanging out with a 15 year old.

[The_Observer]

The relationship began in April through a Facebook dating application called "Are You Interested" and was discovered earlier this month by the parents, court records show.

WHY is a facebook app letting kids on! They should be AGE checking this!

[Dot Matrix]

Father had quite some patience. I would have skipped straight to "ass beating" mode.

[compl3x]

Awesome. Too bad they didn't kick his ass too.

 

I think the fact he didn't resort to violence and helped the law apprehend this guy is admirable. I could understand why a father would want to kick the guy's ass, and perhaps he deserves it, but vigilante justice is never a good idea.

[Growled Member]

Awesome. More parents need to take active interest in their children's lives and be proactive.

[Steven P. Administrators]

Although this is wrong and I'm glad the man was caught, but what was the 15 year old doing on the dating site chatting to a 30 year old in the first place?

[Dot Matrix]

Although this is wrong and I'm glad the man was caught, but what was the 15 year old doing on the dating site chatting to a 30 year old in the first place?

 

That's what I'm wondering to. You would think the girl would be instantly creeped out (as most are).

[Original Poster]

I think the fact he didn't resort to violence and helped the law apprehend this guy is admirable. I could understand why a father would want to kick the guy's ass, and perhaps he deserves it, but vigilante justice is never a good idea.

i disagree a little... what do you think is going to happen to this guy? nothing? im not even that much against him for what he did... was he really interested in this girl? or just using her... him trying to elope with a minor is a bit much... but him having a relationship? in this country 1 year older and that is fine. so you know 15 is one of those eeehhhhh ages .... even still nothing will happen to this man but a slap on the wrists and a restraining order.... so a beating would have gone much further in the eyes of parental justice.

[Chris123NT]

I agree with Dot Matrix, I would have gone right to ass beating mode, then called the cops in and say I caught him touching her and lost it lol.

[Gotenks98]

I agree with Dot Matrix, I would have gone right to ass beating mode, then called the cops in and say I caught him touching her and lost it lol.

^^^^^ this right here. Words can not describe the ass beating he would have gotten if this was my kid.

[moloko]

I think the fact he didn't resort to violence and helped the law apprehend this guy is admirable. I could understand why a father would want to kick the guy's ass, and perhaps he deserves it, but vigilante justice is never a good idea.

 

I agree. It would be hard to not rough this guy up though.

[NeoTrunks]

I think the fact he didn't resort to violence and helped the law apprehend this guy is admirable. I could understand why a father would want to kick the guy's ass, and perhaps he deserves it, but vigilante justice is never a good idea.

 

There's no doubt that he's a better man than most of us would be in the same situation.

[Hum]

Clearly.

 

 The attempted kidnapping charge is interesting though...

If I was on a jury I'd have to vote 'not guilty' to the kidnapping part ... clearly she was agreeing, to run away.

[compl3x]

i disagree a little... what do you think is going to happen to this guy? nothing? im not even that much against him for what he did... was he really interested in this girl? or just using her... him trying to elope with a minor is a bit much... but him having a relationship? in this country 1 year older and that is fine. so you know 15 is one of those eeehhhhh ages .... even still nothing will happen to this man but a slap on the wrists and a restraining order.... so a beating would have gone much further in the eyes of parental justice.

 

 

That a problem with the Justice System.

 

 

A lot of young people are groomed online, run away and then sold into prostitution. I am not saying that is necessarily what was happening here, but there is no telling what this guy's motivation was.

[MorganX]

When did this happen? I must have missed that part.

 

Many of these things are charged based on intent. I can see attempted child rape, but we may not know all that went on. I think when regular citizens do this, you have to be careful of entrapment but he looks pretty guilty.

If I was on a jury I'd have to vote 'not guilty' to the kidnapping part ... clearly she was agreeing, to run away.

 

The fact that they persuaded him to go along with the plan makes this one kind of gray.