Angel Perez
Polk County Sheriff’s Office
A Polk County man who Lakeland police say sent pictures of his genitals to a middle school girl was arrested Monday, jail records show.
Angel Perez, 22, is charged with transmitting harmful material to a minor and using a computer to lure a child after admitting to police that he sent the images.
According to his arrest report, Perez sent the first picture via Snapchat on Aug. 18. The girl’s mother saw the picture and questioned her daughter about it. After her daughter denied knowing the person, the mother began conversing with Perez on the girl’s account.
The mother asked Perez personal questions in an attempt to have him reveal his identity. Although Perez gave her a fake name, the mother eventually discovered his address and turned it over to police.
A little over a week later, police responded to the mother’s home because Perez had sent another picture. The second image mirrored the first: genitals.
On Monday, police traveled to Perez’s Lakeland home where he was questioned about the pictures. He initially claimed to have no knowledge of the situation but eventually confessed to sending the images because “he was lonely,” according to the report. He also said that he sent similar pictures to a “handful” of girls in an effort to seek attention.
Perez was taken into custody and is still being held on $10,000 bond. His arraignment is scheduled for October.
This arrest violated his probation, which stems from a May arrest for soliciting a prostitute, court records show.
C. Isaiah Smalls II is a reporter covering breaking and trending news for the Miami Herald. Previously, he worked for ESPN’s The Undefeated as part of their inaugural class of Rhoden Fellows. He is a graduate of both Columbia University and Morehouse College.