VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A Spencer, Indiana man has been charged with crimes relating to child pornography and solicitation of a child for sex.
Steven M. Giles, 47, was booked into the Vigo County Jail on April 13 after an investigation that began in January of this year.
According to court documents, Giles is accused of attempting to meet up with what he believed to be two separate 13-year-old girls for the purpose of sex but they were actually members of a group called Predator Catchers, Inc.
In the excerpt included in the probable cause affidavit, Giles tells the girl through a social networking application “Tagged” that “Ages only a number to me” shortly after being told the girl was 13-years-old.
Members of the group contacted an officer with the West Terre Haute Police Department and shared what evidence they had. That evidence included the chat logs, where Giles agreed to meet one of the girls at a Burger King location in West Terre Haute, as well as a video of a live stream in which the group met with Giles on Jan. 21.
According to the document, Giles was identified using license plate information on the vehicle he drove to meet the girl, along with his BMV photo in comparison with videos and photos from Predator Catchers Inc.
Giles has been charged with:
- Child Solicitation to engage in sexual intercourse
- Child Solicitation to engage in fondling or touch
- Dissemination of matter harmful to minors (x4)
- Possession of child pornography (x2)
Predator Catchers Inc. claims to have been involved in more than 300 investigations in multiple counties in Indiana with some resulting in arrest and conviction.
Giles appeared in Vigo County Superior Court 6 for his initial appearance Thursday. And was being held on a $35,000 bond with no 10% permitted.
