Centerton man accused of Internet stalking of a child

File photo
File photo

BENTONVILLE -- A Centerton man is accused of trying to meet a 13-year-old girl and sending sexually explicit messages to a Rogers police officer, who was pretending to be the teenager.

Jared Boyd Scott, 28, was arrested Tuesday and faces charges of internet stalking of a child and sexual grooming of a child.

He was being held Thursday in the Benton County Jail with no bond set.

The investigation began last week when the officer acting undercover as a 13-year-old girl on various social media accounts, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Scott sent the officer a message and asked how old she was, and the officer replied 13, according to the affidavit.

Scott asked the officer to send a photograph of her exposing herself to show she wasn't an undercover officer. The officer refused, the affidavit states.

The two continued sending messages and discussed meeting at Library Park in Rogers.

Scott asked the officer again to send him a photograph because he was still concerned the girl was a police officer, according to the affidavit. The officer didn't send any photographs to Scott.

Scott sent the officer two pornographic images, according to the affidavit.

The two arranged to meet Tuesday at the park at 1507 W. Pine St. where Scott was arrested.

Scott told police he was the male in the photographs he sent to the officer, according to the affidavit.

Tracy M. Neal can be reached by email at [email protected] or Twitter @NWATracy.

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