| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: CORNELL, CHRIS 0283 (AR11119897) ON 031011, THE CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECEIVED A COMPLAINT REGARDING AN ELEVEN YEAR OLD FEMALE HAVING ONLINE CONVERSATIONS WITH A NINETEEN YEAR OLD MALE USING THE INTERNET SERVICE, FACEBOOK. THE PARENT OF THE ELEVEN YEAR OLD CHILD LOCATED A CONVERSATION THAT WAS SEXUAL IN NATURE ON HER SOCIAL NETWORKING PROFILE. YOUR AFFIANT WAS ASSIGNED TO THIS CASE TO INVESTIGATE. ON 031111, YOUR AFFIANT ACCESSED THE CHILD'S FACEBOOK ACCOUNT AND CAPTURED SEVERAL DAYS OF CONVERSATION WITH THE DEFENDANT, MR JOSEPH HATTEN, BEGINNING ON 030211. UPON REVIEWING THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEFENDANT, HE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN HAVING SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH THE CHILD. THE DEFENDANT TOLD THE CHILD THAT HE COULD PICK HER UP DEPENDING ON HER AGE. THE CHILD TOLD THE DEFENDANT THAT SHE WAS ALMOST TWELVE YEARS OF AGE AND LATER DURING THE CONVERSATION, HE SAID HE WAS NINETEEN. YOUR AFFIANT CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CHILD ON 032111 WHO DISCLOSED THAT SHE MET THE DEFENDANT ON THE INTERNET IN LATE JANUARY OR EARLY FEBRUARY AND THEY EVENTUALLY ADDED EACH OTHER ONTO THEIR FACEBOOK PROFILE. THE CHILD STATED THAT THEY DISCUSSED SEVERAL TIMES MEETING IN PERSON AND ON THE NIGHT OF 030311, SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO LEAVE HER RESIDENCE AT NIGHT AND WALK TO THE DEFENDANT'S RESIDENCE TO HAVE SEXUAL INTERCOURSE. THE DEFENDANT PROVIDED THE CHILD HIS ADDRESS THROUGH FACEBOOK AND TOLD HER "THEN I'M GONNA' GIVE YOU THE LONGEST AND ROUGHEST SEX EVER". THE MEETING THIS NIGHT NEVER HAPPENED, HOWEVER, THE DEFENDANT DISCUSSED MEETING THE CHILD AT TWO OTHER LOCATIONS IN INVERNESS. THE DEFENDANT ALSO REQUESTED NUDE PICTURES OF THE CHILD SEVERAL TIMES DURING THESE CONVERSATIONS, HOWEVER, SHE REFUSED. THE CHILD WAS ABLE TO POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE DEFENDANT THROUGH HIS FLORIDA DRIVERS LICENSE PHOTO. YOUR AFFIANT DRAFTED A SEARCH WARRANT FOR THE DEFENDANT'S RESIDENCE WHICH WAS EXECUTED ON THIS DATE, 032311. UPON EXECUTING THE SEARCH WARRANT YOUR AFFIANT MET WITH THE DEFENDANT WHO WAS AT HIS RESIDENCE AT THE TIME. DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DEFENDANT, HE ADMITTED TO HAVING ONLINE CONVERSATIONS WITH SEVERAL CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN, INCLUDING THE CHILD IN THIS INVESTIGATION. THE DEFENDANT ALSO ADMITTED TO ATTEMPTING TO MEET THE CHILD, BUT STATED HE DID NOT REMEMBER HER AGE. AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION, THE DEFENDANT WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR USING THE INTERNET TO SEDUCE, SOLICIT, LURE OR ENTICE A CHILD FOR SEXUAL ACTIVITY, AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS A RESULT OF MY INTERVIEW WITH THE DEFENDANT, ADDITIONAL CHARGES MAY BE ADDED AT A LATER TIME. THE DEFENDANT'S BOND AMOUNT WAS SET AT $5,000.00 PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. "If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the ADA Coordinator at the Office of the Trial Court Administrator, Citrus County Courthouse, 110 North Apopka Avenue, Inverness, Florida 34450, Telephone (352) 341-6700, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.” *not-exempt* |
