‘Pedophile met child on Facebook then walked 351 miles so he could rape her’
Tommy Lee Jenkins reportedly sent his intended victim photos of landmarks and selfies while en route
A pedophile spent over seven days walking 351 miles so he could have sex with a child he met on Facebook, it is alleged.
Tommy Lee Jenkins, 32, reportedly spent 180 hours (seven-and-a-half days) marching from Whitestown, Indiana, to Neenah, Wisconsin, in the hope of abusing a girl called Kylee.
His twisted quest began after he received a Facebook friend request from his intended victim and accepted it, police say.
Jenkins quickly began talking explicitly about sex with the youngster, and requesting nude photos, it was said.
Earlier this month, Jenkins asked Kylee if she’d like him to come to Wisconsin to visit her.
He said: ‘I will tell you when i get to neenah 108 hours by walking.’
Jenkins then set out on the mammoth stroll, and would regularly update Kylee with photos of places he’d passed, exit signs and selfies.
And on October 10 he texted to say he’d crossed the Wisconsin state line.
Jenkins added that a stranger had taken pity on him and bought him a bus ticket that would get him to Neenah.
But the suspected pedophile’s luck ran out when he arrived there, and discovered he had been the victim of a law enforcement undercover sting.
Jenkins had actually been talking to a deputy from Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, who was working with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The suspect was arrested as soon as he got off the bus, and charged with using a computer to attempt to persuade, induce or entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
He faces 10 years to life in prison if convicted.
Prosecutor Matthew D Krueger said: ‘Our nation faces an epidemic of child sexual abuse, with the internet making it too easy for predators to communicate with children across the country.
‘The Justice Department is committed to working with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to prosecute child sexual abuse aggressively.’