Henderson Police arrested 38-year-old Mario Alston after he reportedly sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl whom he met online.
After messaging back and forth in early January via the Kik Messenger app, the girl provided her address to meet up with Alston. The man then showed up to her door, entered her residence and sexually assaulted her.
An arrest report says Alston contacted the girl through a Craigslist ad she posted, and continued to communicate through email and the Kik messenger.
Officers contacted Alston on Feb. 1 at his Las Vegas address where he was subsequently arrested without incident. He was booked into the Henderson Detention Center on two counts of sexual assault with a child under 14.
Henderson Police wants to remind parents and teens about the dangers of meeting strangers online:
- Be cautious when communicating with people you don’t know in person, especially if the conversation starts to be sexual. Don’t engage in this type of conversation because you could end up being the target of a predator.
- The only way someone can physically harm you is if you’re in the same location. If you choose to get together with someone you “met” online, go with a friend or group of friends.
- With the many types of applications available to teens, it’s extremely important that parents remain aware of the dangers associated with these applications, and maintain positive and open communication about these dangers with their children.
Here is a list of some apps you may want to look for on your child's phone.
