Police appear to threaten girl, 11, with child porn charges after father's call for help
FILE - A person answers calls at a 911 center in 2017. (Nicholas Pfosi for The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
A distraught Ohio father called police after learning that his 11-year-old daughter sent explicit images to a man who apparently coerced her on social media, according to a video that went viral last week.
The father posted Vivint doorbell camera video footage of police responding to his home on Sept. 15 on his anonymous TikTok account, garnering more than 800,000 views on the social media platform since last week.
"I just wanted someone to talk to her," the father told two Columbus police officers when they arrived at his house that evening, allegedly six hours after he initially called. "I just wanted her to realize what this was. I mean, the reality is that there's not much I can do about it, isn't it?"
The father wrote in the caption of his video that he called police at 6 p.m. to get help for his daughter, whom he said was "manipulated" into sending explicit images to an "online predator."
FILE - A police car with lights ablaze responds to a call. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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A female officer immediately suggested the girl can be charged for sending explicit images to an adult online. The dialogue in the video goes as follows:
Officer: "I mean, she could probably get charged with child porn."
Father: "Who? She can? She's 11 years old," the father fires back.
Officer: "She's creating it, right?" the officer says.
Father: "She's 11 years old."
Officer: "Doesn't matter. She's still making porn."
Father: "No she's not. She's being manipulated by a grown-a-- adult on the internet."
Officer: "Is she taking pictures though?"
Father: "You guys have a nice evening. Thank you for coming."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the father in the video.
Columbus Inspector General Jacqueline Hendricks told Fox News Digital in a statement that the Columbus Department of the Inspector General (Columbus DIG) "is aware of the video being shared with social media and did receive several citizen complaints involving this incident with the two Columbus Division of Police (CPD) officers."
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"The Columbus DIG takes each and every citizen complaint filed with our office seriously," Hendricks said. "The purpose of the Columbus DIG is to ensure the actions of sworn personnel of the CPD are constitutional and in compliance with the City of Columbus and CPD’s policies and procedures and all applicable laws. "
She added that "[w]hen evidence suggests a violation of policies and procedures occurred, recommendations of accountability will be made in order to restore, build, and maintain public trust between the community and CPD."
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Federal law makes it illegal to receive, create, possess and distribute child pornography. It is also illegal to coerce or manipulate minors into sending explicit material.
CPD told McClatchy News that it takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously, and the department's Sexual Assault Unit detectives are investigating the incident.