Crime & Safety
Naked Photos of Girl Solicited Via Facebook, Police Say
Palmer Township man is accused of exposing himself to 10-year-old girl, according to court records.
A 50-year-old Palmer Township man is accused of having a 10-year-old girl send him naked photos of herself via Facebook.
Court records also say the man, Pierre Gonzalez, exposed himself in the girl’s presence, and in Facebook conversations, encouraged the girl to have sex with him.
The records also say the man previously asked the girl while she was with him if he could see her naked. The girl also said he talked to her about “nasty” things.
The girl told police she photographed herself, then transmitted the photos to Gonzalez via Facebook, the records say.
Gonzalez appeared Friday afternoon before District Judge Jackie Taschner, of Palmer Township, who arraigned him on numerous charges, including criminal solicitation to commit rape of a child, sexual abuse of children and corruption of minors.
He was committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail.
After Taschner read the charges aloud, she asked Gonzalez if he understood them. He hesitated, and she asked him what he didn’t understand. Gonzalez said, “I did not touch the girl.”
Taschner quickly explained that such comments were beyond the scope of an arraignment. She asked him again if he understood the charges and he said he did.
The judge also reviewed bail release guidelines. One of them is that Gonzalez is to have no contact with anyone under 18.
A criminal complaint filed by Palmer police Sgt. Timothy Ruoff says the girl’s parents came to township police headquarters Wednesday. They first spoke to an officer.
Ruoff spoke with the girl, also on Wednesday. She told him about Gonzalez’s request that she send him naked photos of herself and that she did so, and she described how Gonzalez had exposed himself to her, according to the court records.
Ruoff said that at police headquarters, the girl accessed her Facebook account. He said he saw six naked photos she sent to Gonzalez, according to the court records. Ruoff also said he saw Facebook conversations between the girl and Gonzalez.
The other charges filed against Gonzalez are criminal solicitation to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, criminal use of a communication facility, indecent exposure, and two counts of unlawful contact with a minor.
Arrests do not indicate a conviction.