A Southern Arizona man is facing multiple felony charges over allegations he used social media to lure two juveniles to meet him for sex and provided them with marijuana.
The case illustrates the importance of parents keeping an eye on their children's online activities, authorities said.
The suspect, Dylan McGrath, 20, of Sierra Vista, is being held in the Cochise County jail on $25,000 bond, said police in Sierra Vista, about 90 miles southeast of Tucson.
McGrath was arrested Sept 4. He is charged on suspicion of two counts each of sexual conduct with a minor; involving a minor in drug activity; child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Sierra Vista police spokesman Cpl. Scott Borgstadt said the suspect allegedly met his young victims on social media.
"I would say more than 90% of sexual predators use social media to recruit their victims. Facebook and every other type of social media," Borgstadt said.
"It's important for parents to know and realize and maybe pay a little bit closer attention to what their children are doing on social media," he said.
McGrath's Facebook page says he now lives in Sierra Vista but that his hometown is Santa Barbara, California.
Police are not releasing the age, gender, or any other details of the case to protect the identities of the alleged victims, Borgstadt said.
