A 36-year-old Camden man accused of looking to exchange nude photos with a 7-year-old girl on TikTok and via text message was arrested last week with the help of a police K9, according to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.
Elmer Lao was charged with second-degree attempted manufacturing of child sexual abuse material and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, the office said.
Lao sent nude videos of himself to the girl and requested that she send nude photographs of herself in return, authorities said.
Lao knew the girl was seven years old, the office said.
“Predators often use social media and messaging apps to target children, making parental involvement more important than ever,” said Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay.
“I urge every parent to regularly monitor their child’s messages on TikTok and other social media platforms and to have ongoing conversations about online safety and the risks of communicating with strangers.”
A two-day investigation from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and High Tech Crimes Unit found Lao had been messaging the girl, officials said.
On July 22, authorities searched Lao’s home and a K9 trained in electronic detection located a cell phone which had allegedly been used to message the girl.
Lao was taken into custody that day and lodged in the Camden County Correctional Facility, pending a detention hearing. – nj.com/Tribune News Service
