PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — A Southport man is in the Bay County Jail on child luring charges.
Bay County Sheriff’s investigators say 39-year-old Peter Keukelar used social media sites to connect with teenagers. He is accused of offering a Pasco County boy money for nude photos and sending nude photos of himself. Authorities said he also came into contact with another 14-year-old boy, who turned out to be an undercover officer with the Panama City Police Department. With one in five children reporting being contacted by an online criminal, Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford says this is one of his top priorities.
“We have put significant numbers of people in prison on these charges, and we will continue to do so, in an effort to keep children safe and reduce instances of human trafficking,” Ford said. Told.
Online predators are one of the reasons the Florida House and Senate passed a bill banning anyone under 16 from having an online account. Gov. Ron DeSantis has concerns about the bill and hasn’t signed it yet, but Ford said he understands the idea behind it.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea for the Legislature to have some control over this, whether this is the way to do it or not. And whether the governor agrees with it or not. That’s a little outside of my wheelhouse. understand what they are trying to accomplish,” Ford said.
If it becomes law, it could be an additional step to protect children from online predators. Ford says there are ways parents can be more proactive.
“On our app, on the county sheriff’s office app website, on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website. There are ways that we can determine whether you might live near where you are or things of that nature,” Ford said.
Click here for more help keeping your child safe. If you want to learn more about sex offenders in your area of Bay County, download the app.
