Instant Message Predator Arrested

Parents should be aware of their children’s activities on social sites and on Instant Messenger programs. After a smart 10 year old reported an inappropriate contact on her Instant Messenger, a predator was tracked and arrested.

Today, Folsom Police arrested 53 year-old Gerald Ivor Edwards on one count of sending harmful matter with the intent to seduce a minor and one count of annoying or molesting a minor.

Edwards was arrested at his home in Folsom.

The investigation began when a 10 year-old child told her mother she was receiving sexually explicit messages. The mother logged onto the home computer and pretended to be the 10 year-old. An instant messaging conversation ensued between the two, when Edwards sent unsolicited sexually explicit written text and pornographic images. The mother then contacted Folsom Police.

During the course of the investigation, Detectives were able to identify the suspect which led them to a local sex registrant. Folsom Police Detectives served a search warrant on Edwards’ residence and seized his home computer. “This is a great reminder to parents to be aware of whom their children are talking to on these social networking sites,” said Sgt. Brian Dean.

Police did not release a photo, due to the ongoing investigation, and because there may be additional victims.

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Alan Gray is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of NewsBlaze Daily News and other online newspapers. He prefers to edit, rather than write, but sometimes an issue rears it’s head and makes him start hammering away on the keyboard.

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Alan has been on the internet since it first started. He loves to use his expertise in content and digital marketing to help businesses grow, through managed content services. After living in the United States for 15 years, he is now in South Australia. To learn more about how Alan can help you with content marketing and managed content services, contact him by email.

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Alan is also a techie. His father was a British soldier in the 4th Indian Division in WWII, with Sikhs and Gurkhas. He was a sergeant in signals and after that, he was a printer who typeset magazines and books on his linotype machine. Those skills were passed on to Alan and his brothers, who all worked for Telecom Australia, on more advanced signals (communications). After studying electronics, communications, and computing at college, and building and repairing all kinds of electronics, Alan switched to programming and team building and management.

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