SC teen charged with making video in sexual assault of Rock Hill child, police say
A South Carolina teen has been charged with meeting a Rock Hill child via the internet, then making a video of a sex act, police said.
Joel Armando Clemente-Mata, 19, was arrested in Florence County, said Rock Hill Police Department Lt. Michael Chavis. Clemente-Mata was transferred from Florence to the Rock Hill jail Saturday before being sent to the York County Detention Center.
Clemente-Mata is charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, criminal solicitation of a minor, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to Rock Hill police reports and York County jail records.
Police in Rock Hill were contacted in late November about the meeting in Rock Hill between Clemente-Mata and the 13-year-old victim, a Rock Hill police incident report states.
Detectives investigated and found Clemente-Mata had allegedly sent the victim a message through Instagram, the report stated.
Clemente-Mata remains in the York County jail after bail was denied in a court hearing, records show.
Law enforcement urges kids safety online
Parents and adults are urged to talk with children about social media and internet use to avoid being victims of predatory behavior, Chavis said.
The U.S. Department of Justice and FBI have Web pages dedicated to keeping children safe online. The sites state that school closings, stay-at-home orders, and hybrid learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased children’s online presence and may put them at greater risk.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported a 97 percent increase in online enticement reports in 2020 over 2019 after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Federal law enforcement officials urge adults to monitor the Internet and social media use of children.
