Police arrested a man on Wednesday for allegedly trying to coerce a child into sending him sexually explicit images through social media.
On Jan. 4, the school resource officer at Maranacook Community School in Readfield followed up on a complaint from the victim, a 14-year-old female student, the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Readfield is 10 miles northwest of Augusta.
A deputy from Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office continued the social media conversation with the suspect, William C. Smith, 29, of Wayne, who was unaware that he was no longer communicating with the girl and allegedly requested photos and threatened her with consequences if she did not comply.
On Wednesday, members of the United States Marshals Service, Maine Violent Offender Task Force and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office arrested Smith without incident at a residence in Vassalboro, according to the sheriff’s office.
He was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and solicitation of a child for commercial sexual exploitation. His bail was set at $5,000 cash.