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Palm Harbor Man Accused of Online Sex Crimes with 13 Year Old

Charles Eric Dudley | Tarpon Springs Police | Arrests

He has possibly targeted multiple underage girls throughout Pinellas and Pasco counties, Tarpon Springs police said.

TARPON SPRINGS – Police here have accused a Palm Harbor man of sending explicit nude photos to underage girls.

Charles Eric Dudley, 25, of Palm Harbor, was charged with five counts of transmission of materials harmful to minors, a third degree felony.

Dudley’s arrest came after an eight-month investigation, according to the Tarpon Springs Police Department. An investigation began in August after the mother of a 13 year old girl filed an initial report. Dudley later made contact with an undercover detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl. Police said he sent her five explicit nude photographs, claiming they were pictures of him.

Dudley told the undercover detective he wished to meet the “13-year-old.” He went to Anderson Park in Tarpon Springs on Monday (March 13) with a minor child in his custody. He was arrested there. Although Dudley did not arrange to have sex with the undercover detective Monday, police said he had done so on previous occasions but later cancelled those pre-arranged meetings. Dudley told officers he would have never have “actually crossed the line” and had sex with a child.

Dudley was aware the undercover child profile age was 13, and on several occasions he told her that he preferred girls of that age. Police said Dudley told her he wanted to sexual intercourse and oral sex with the 13-year-old girl’s undercover profile.

Police said Dudley confessed and told officers he created a fake Facebook account and sent explicit nude photographs to the person he thought was a 13 year old child.

Police said they believe Dudley has possibly targeted multiple female juveniles throughout Pinellas and Pasco counties. Anyone with any information regarding Dudley as it pertains to this
investigation or other similar allegations, contact Det. Scarpati at the Tarpon Springs Police Department at (727) 939-4499.

For information about the Tarpon Springs police, go to tspd.us.

Tarpon Springs Police | Crime | Arrests | Pinellas Arrests | TB Reporter

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