A 21-year-old Brown County man has been charged with a felony after police say they found evidence he was having inappropriate conversations with a 13-year-old girl through social media apps.
On Sept. 19, Detective Brian Shrader with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department met with a woman who said that her 13-year-old daughter was talking with an older boy on Snapchat.
He was later identified as John Wesley Hardin, 21, of Deer Trails.
Shrader wrote in a probable cause affidavit that he could tell from the conversations that the two had exchanged pictures.
Hardin made sexual innuendos in the conversations, including some language that the girl did not understand.
The girl told Shrader she met Hardin when he followed her on Instagram and they began talking. She said Hardin was aware of her age and that she knew he was 21.
She said Hardin had never asked her to have sex.
Shrader received permission to use the girl’s Snapchat account undercover. Hardin told Shrader that he wanted to have sex with the girl, believing Shrader was her, the police report said.
Shrader found Hardin at his home Sept. 20. He had a search warrant for Hardin’s cellphone. He reported smelling marijuana outside and Hardin admitted he had been smoking, according to the affidavit. He collected marijuana from his bedroom and brought it Shrader.
Once at the police department, Hardin told Shrader he knew he was there being questioned because of his conversations with the girl. He said he wasn’t sure why he had asked her or wanted to have sex with the girl, but that his learning disability may be a reason, the probable cause affidavit said.
Hardin said he smokes marijuana daily and that he had sent the sexual messages the day before after he smoked.
He said he knew what he did was wrong and that he understood he was going to jail for it, the affidavit states.
He was booked into the jail that day and posted $800 bond less than 12 hours later.
On Sept. 22, Hardin was charged with child solicitation, a Level 5 felony; possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
