13-year-old girl lured into sex trafficking by man she met on popular social media platform, police say

A 29-year-old man is accused of luring a 13-year-old girl into sex trafficking after meeting her on a popular social media platform, according to Pennsylvania prosecutors.

Zachary Lee McCauley from Louisville, Kentucky, pretended to be a 17-year-old boy named "Jake" when he allegedly groomed the teenager on Snapchat.

'This case exemplifies just how long the reach is of a child sexual predator using these social media platforms.'

Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said in a media briefing that the girl's mother grew suspicious when she walked in on the girl taking lurid photos and videos of herself in her bedroom. The mother brought her daughter's phone, iPad, and MacBook to the Buckingham Township Police in October.

In February, she then contacted the Bucks County District Attorney's office after seeing a report about child sex abuse. An investigation led police to McCauley.

"He used grooming tactics to lower her inhibition, and then those tactics evolved into threatening to inflict harm upon her mother if she did not comply with his demands," Schorn said.

She said that McCauley allegedly ordered the girl to make a profile on the Grindr dating app so that men could meet her to pay for sex. Two Pennsylvania men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting the girl.

A third man changed his mind after meeting her, said Schorn.

"There was actually a third man who met with this child, and when he met her in person, it was immediately apparent that she was a child and that he did not engage in the sexual encounter that he intended to engage in," she explained.

The two suspects who met the victim on Grindr posted bail, while McCauley was arrested in Kentucky and awaited extradition to Pennsylvania.

"This case exemplifies just how long the reach is of a child sexual predator using these social media platforms," Schorn added. "I can assure you that currently this investigation is still very much active, and if there are additional victims, we will make sure that this individual is prosecuted for those crimes."

Experts say parents should monitor their children if they are allowed access to smartphones and the internet. Children should also be restricted from apps that allow strangers to contact them.

"This is unfortunately a theme we see time and time again, and you know these forums, it allows for these type of predators to really do so with anonymity, and it's quite frightening," Schorn concluded.

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