Teen ‘used Snapchat to lure and rape at least five underage girls’
A 19-year-old has turned himself into police amid accusations that he used Snapchat to lure and rape underage girls.
Dominic Yocco surrendered to authorities in St Louis, Missouri on Wednesday after police had been searching for him since July.
Investigators say Yocco used the multimedia messaging app to entice minors to come to his home, where he would allegedly sexually assault and rape them – sometimes while they were unconscious, police said.
St Louis officer Tracy Panus told KMOV4: ‘This gentleman has posted stories on his Snapchat where he’s luring these girls in. He’s posting stuff on his story that enables him to reach these young girls.’
‘He goes and picks them up, brings them to his house where he rapes them, sexually molests them, and then brings them home.’
According to police, a 16-year-old girl told investigators that Yocco pinned her down, slapped her, beat her, and raped her with a gun in plain view nearby.
At least five other girls, all between the ages of 13 and 16, accused Yocco of raping them. Some even said they were unconscious when the rape occurred, but police have not elaborated on those claims.
Archer and Curran rip through Australia as England take charge of final Ashes TestOne of the accusers, a 14-year-old girl, told police that Yocco battered and pinched her while she was unconscious.
Two days before Yocco turned himself in, authorities reached out to the public for help finding him as authorities became increasingly worried about potential victims because Yocco reportedly lived near Cold Water Elementary School.
Prosecutors charged him with four counts of first-degree rape, two counts of second-degree rape, and two counts of third-degree assault on July 9.
He is currently being held at the St Louis County Justice Center on a $250,000 cash-only bond.
Authorities said that another victim came forward once Yocco was behind bars.