Sumter, SC (WLTX) -- The Sumter Sheriff's Department arrested a man who could face dozens of charges after sexually communicating with 17-year-old female in Virginia.
According to officials, Bobby Lee Kelley, 20, has been arrested on warrants out of Virginia charging him with three offenses: contributing to the delinquency of a minor, encouraging explicit material and using a computer to commit sexual offenses with a minor.
Reports say that Kelley started communicating with the young girl online and as things developed he started sending several photos of his genitals and requesting the same from her. After the female's parents found out about the messages, they gave her computer and her social media passwords to the authorities in Virginia for them to follow-up on by pretending to be the girl online.
In South Carolina, a 17-year-old person is not considered to be a minor, however, this varies in different states officials say.
"Virginia authorities pointed out to the girl’s parents the fact that there is only a three-year difference in the ages of Kelley and their daughter. Despite that, the parents wanted Kelley charged," says Sumter officer Ken Bell.
Officials in Virginia plan to to charge Kelley with a total of 27 misdemeanor warrants charging contributing to the delinquency of a minor, four felony warrants charging use of communication systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children, and four felony warrants for taking indecent liberties with children. A total of 35 charges were sent to the Sumter Sheriff's Department.
Kelley is currently held at the Sumter County Detention Center awaiting extradition to Virginia.