Crime & Safety

High Ridge Man Charged With Attempted Enticement of Child

Innappropriate messages allegedly sent via Facebook to girl under 15.

Warrants for attempted enticement of a child were issued today by the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office on Searl L. Dunn, 65 , of High Ridge.

According to a St.Louis County Poice Department news release, an investigation on Dunn began Monday when St. Louis County police officers responded to a home in South County to investigate inappropriate messages being sent via Facebook to a juvenile under the age of fifteen. The mother of the juvenile worked with St. Louis County detectives to identify and locate the suspect who was a trusted family friend.

Dunn is currently being held on a $250,000 bond.

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"Enticement of a Child is whenever someone over 21 years of age solicits by words, actions or communications via the internet anyone that is less than 15 years of age for the purpose of engaging in sexual contact," said St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch in the news release. "I commend the officers and detectives who were able to conduct an investigation that resulted in warrants within 48 hours. This was made possible through the fact that the parent took the prudent action of immediately contacting our police department and not the suspect."

St. Louis County Police are asking that anyone who has information about this case or believes they may have been a victim of a sexual crime to call 314-889-2341.

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