A Fort Collins man has been arrested for attempting to initiate sex with who he thought was a 13-year-old girl, the Fort Collins Police Department said Thursday.
Christopher Patterson, 47, was charged with internet sexual exploitation of a child, internet luring of a child and enticement of a child.
In April, Patterson messaged an undercover police Facebook account that was made to look like it belonged to a 13-year-old girl. Police said Patterson sent sexually explicit photos and asked to meet up for sex and drug use.
A warrant was issued for Patterson’s arrest in August, and he was served at the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office where he was in custody for a separate case, police said.
“Predators often groom victims to build trust before escalating to inappropriate interactions,” said Assistant Chief Tim Doran. “We urge parents to take an active role in monitoring their children’s virtual presence and engage in ongoing family discussions about digital safety.”
Police are concerned Patterson may have contacted social media accounts belonging to actual children.
Anyone with information about inappropriate interactions by Patterson with minors is asked to call Detective Laura Knudsen at 970-416-2771 or, to be anonymous, Crime Stoppers of Larimer County at 970-221-6868 or stopcriminals.org.
The Fort Collins Police Department offers free internet safety presentations to help identify online predators. To register for the next session on Nov. 9, visit fcgov.com/police/digital-safety.
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