TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - An online sting operation led to the arrest of an Alabama man who tried to solicit what he believed to be a 14-year-old to have sex with him.
Zachary Melvin was arrested on Monday and charged with child cruelty and using a computer to seduce/solicit a child.
According to a probable cause document, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff's Office as well as other law enforcement agencies, started an online undercover operation in February targeting people using the internet to sexually exploit children.
On that same day, Melvin began talking to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl on "MeetMe". The computer was located in Tallahassee.
Investigators were able to learn that Melvin was a 22-year-old Pansey, Alabama man.
Several times when the "14-year-old girl" and Melvin talked, he tried to get her to meet up with him, eventually asking for pictures and suggesting that they have sex when they meet up.
Documents say he also sent explicit pictures to the "girl".
He is behind bars on a $20,000 bail.
