Texas Man Accused of Raping 12 Year-old Girl After Snapchat Meeting

This story out of Tyler, Texas is a terrifying example of why social media can be dangerous for young children, as well as a parent's worst nightmare.

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KWTX is reporting that a Tyler man has been accused of sexually assaulting an underage girl during an encounter he set up through an instant messaging app. The 12-year-old told police and counselors at the Tyler Independent School District that Eduardo Avelar had sex with her two years ago.

She said the encounter took place in Avelar's car after they met online through Snapchat. The girl’s testimony was verified through Snapchat records. When police interviewed Avelar, he admitted to having sex with the victim, but claimed he did not realize she was only 10 years old, according to the affidavit.

Avelar has been charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault of a child and is being held on a $200,000 bond.

Other Recent Snapchat Incidents in Texas

According to KMID, earlier this month, a Midland man was charged with online solicitation of a minor after police said he used Snapchat to send explicit messages to two underage girls.

Kevin Lemont Dennis was fighting with a father of one of the girls when he was arrested at the scene on outstanding warrants for burglary and unauthorized use of a vehicle. During an interview, officers discovered Dennis was accused of sending explicit Snapchat messages to both a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old, according to an affidavit.

Most Dangerous Social Media Apps

According to FamiSafe, Snapchat is listed as one of the most dangerous social media apps for teens and young children, but there are many more. These are just a few examples.

• Houseparty - a video-chatting app that allows as many as 10 people at once to share a 'virtual hang'. The app uses a personal contact list from phone, Facebook, or Snapchat contacts to create its own contact list. Anyone on these lists can start a conversation with your child.
• Ask.FM App - Users can post questions and other users can answer them - all without giving their identity.
• Kik App - One of the most popular apps, Kik is a messaging platform that allows users to send and receive messages from others. Privacy settings are a major issue with this app.
• MeetMe App - The app has been listed as a dangerous for minors, as it can be easily located by predators, with few safeguards for personal info.
• Blendr App - Blendr is one of the most dangerous apps for kids. The app lets users share images and videos, as well as send messages to random individuals. It also shares the user's location.

Parents, we have to educate ourselves about these apps and be aware of what our kids are up to. We've also got to talk to our kids about the dangers and make sure they know they can trust us and come to us for help when someone sends them inappropriate texts or images on these platforms.