STUART — Stuart police have arrested a Pennsylvania man accused of soliciting a minor online and sending explicit material to someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl.
The investigation began Jan. 6, when a Stuart Police Department detective, posing as a 14-year-old on a social media platform, was contacted by an adult male, according to police. During online conversations, the suspect allegedly sent explicit images and other material considered harmful to a minor.
Detectives identified the suspect as Jason Dekaye, 50, of Meadville, Pennsylvania. Investigators determined that Dekaye was employed as a JROTC instructor at Erie High School in Erie, Pennsylvania, police said.
Based on evidence gathered, detectives obtained an arrest warrant signed by a Martin County judge. Stuart police coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, Pennsylvania State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Unit and the Meadville Police Department to locate and arrest the suspect.
Dekaye was arrested without incident at his Meadville residence on Jan. 23 and taken into custody at the Crawford County Jail, police said. He faces charges of solicitation of a minor, transmission of harmful material to a minor, and use of a two-way communication device. His bond was set at $750,000.
Police said Dekaye will be extradited to Stuart to face the charges in Martin County court.
The investigation remains active, and additional charges are possible. No further information is being released at this time.