If asked about the role of the Internet in modern life, Florida readers might have a variety of responses. From paying bills to shopping, emailing to video chatting with a friend or loved one across the globe, the Internet seems to have made everything more accessible. Even dating can be done online.
However, today’s story reminds readers that activities — like online dating — might carry different risks not present in its old-fashioned form. Specifically, a Florida woman who had created a profile on the website DateHookUp.com was deceived about the age of a potential love interest she contacted.
The boy initially told the woman that he was an adult, 18 years of age. In reality, he was two years younger. After some initial conversations, the two apparently began texting. The boy ultimately admitted that he was a minor in one of his texts to the woman, before they ever met.
Unfortunately, the woman did not relent in her pursuit, even after learning the boy’s true age. She arranged a meeting in a hotel room, where the two reportedly smoked marijuana with a group of the boy’s friends. The woman also engaged in sex with the boy at that meeting.
Authorities were alerted to the alleged felony sex crime after the woman stole the boy’s phone, apparently in retaliation for an alleged theft of a personal property items by one of the boy’s friends from the hotel meeting. The boy reported the phone theft to local police, who ultimately charged the woman with sexual assault, as well as grand theft. It remains to be seen whether prosecutors will attempt to characterize the woman’s alleged sex crime as traveling to meet a minor.
Source: nydailynews.com, “Florida woman busted for sex with 16-year-old boy she met on DateHookUp.com,” Lee Moran, May 31, 2013