UPDATE: Ashland man facing charges in Internet case
Published 4:44 pm Tuesday, February 28, 2012
An Ashland, Ky., man remains out on bond following his arrest this weekend in Ironton in an Internet solicitation case.
Daniel D. Preston Jr., 20, of 1053 Collins Lane, was arrested by Ironton police at midnight Sunday on a charge of importuning, a third-degree felony.
“He used a telecommunications device through the Internet to solicit sexual activity from a 13-year-old,” Ironton Police Chief Jim Carey said.
Preston had allegedly met a 13-year-old through the social media websites of Facebook and myYearbook, according to Carey.
“Once he met her and became friends that is when he started having very sexually explicit conversations with her,” the chief said. “He was able to get her address and made arrangements to meet her on that night.”
Once in Ironton, Preston couldn’t find the address of the teen and saw an Ohio Highway State Patrol officer who had pulled a motorist over for a traffic stop, Carey said. He asked the officer for directions saying that he was in Ironton to meet a 17-year-old.
“Because it was late at night the officer questioned him and became suspicious,” Carey said.
The OHSP officer brought the man to the Ironton police station where he was questioned, then arrested and taken to the county jail.
“Initially he said he thought she was 17, but later admitted he knew she was 13,” Carey said.
Preston was arraigned in Ironton Municipal Court on Monday and will have a preliminary hearing on Thursday. He has retained Derrick Fisher as his attorney.