A Dexter man has been taken into custody after allegedly trying to entice a child under the age of 15. Bernie Police Chief Rick Cook said in a Facebook post Joseph James Craig was taken in following an investigation.
The investigation began Saturday evening following an operation conducted in Bernie by Bikers Against Predators.
According to the probable cause released by the Bernie Police Department, Craig made contact with a decoy through the app Meet Me on his phone.
During the communication, Craig allegedly sent his phone number to the decoy account and continued communication. Authorities say Craig believed he was speaking to a 13-year-old female in Bernie.
Authorities say Craig asked and made arrangements to pick up the child and take her back to his home.
When Craig went to meet the female, he instead was met by the Bikers Against Predators. Craig allegedly fled the scene, causing property damage to a guide wire.
“Just to be clear, no Bernie student was involved and there was no victim. The organization (Bikers Against Predators) apparently uses a decoy of some kind to expose potential child predators,” said Bernie Superintendent Brad Botsch in a statement via Facebook over the weekend. “The Bernie and Dexter P.D. are working closely with the school to investigate the situation.”
“While we wish the operation had not been conducted on school property without our knowledge, nonetheless, it is a vibrant reminder to closely monitor your child's technology usage and know their whereabouts at all times,” Botsch further stated.
According to the warrant, Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Sawyer Smith has filed charges including enticement of a child and age misrepresentation after misrepresenting his age to the decoy.
Craig is being held at the Stoddard County Jail on $50,000 cash-only bond.