DEARBORN (WWJ) - Police in Dearborn exercised the long arm of the law after they tracked down and arrested a Zeeland man for child sex abuse of a Dearborn child, authorities announced on Friday.
Officials with the Dearborn Police Department said they were first notified on April 10 that a male suspect from the Grand Rapids area had allegedly coerced a 14-year-old in Dearborn into sending sexually explicit material through social media sites.
According to authorities, the 14-year-old had self-identified as autistic during online conversations with the man from the Grand Rapids area.
After an investigation, police were able to identify the suspect as Mason Kuiper from Zeeland, Mich.
Related
With assistance from the Ottawa County Sherriff's Office, Dearborn police executed a search warrant on Kuiper's home, three hours west of Dearborn.
Kuiper was apprehended by authorities and his electronics were seized.
Kuiper was arraigned on five counts of Aggravated Possession of Child Sex Abuse Material and five counts of Using a Computer/Internet to Commit a Crime Charges, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday.
He was given a $200,000 cash bond; a Probable Cause Conference has been scheduled for May 6 at 9 a.m.
“Parents must remain vigilant when it comes to monitoring their children’s social media usage," Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin warned.
"We will use all available resources to ensure those that prey on innocent children are brought to justice no matter the distance. I’d like to thank the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this case.”
Related
