Sex offender brags of exploits

RALEIGH

Avens spotted posts by a man calling himself "Rick" who had pictures of a 9 and 12-year-old he claimed were his children.

"Isn't she sexy?" read one post "Do you blame me for having some fun with her?"

Another post was even more offensive.

"I didn't want his page to come down off the wall because I thought that the children would not get the help that they needed," said Avens. "Just the idea that his children might be going through these things that he listed, I was appalled. Something has to be done."

According to Facebook, something is being done about it. It tells us not only is it investigating, but so is law enforcement. Facebook would not say who or where. It also wasn't clear if investigators think "Rick's" posts were pranks or the work of a real sex offender.

We do know "Rick" is now on the radar of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children - all thanks to concerned viewers like Cynthia Avens and others who came forward.

"I would hope that they would all take a step that's more than reporting it to Facebook. Call some type of authority, get in contact with someone who can help the children," said Avens.

Captain Michael Williams heads up Cary's cyber crime unit. While he's not investigating this case, he said when it comes to online offenders, there are no boundaries.

"It's incredibly important for someone to come forward," he said. "We network with other investigators. If we start an investigation here, and we determine it's someone in Arizona, we will contact someone in Arizona."

Williams warns it can take days - sometimes months - to track down child predators who can be elusive on the internet.

With the help of Internet Crimes Against Children - a national investigative team - they can cast a wider net.

Facebook says it sometimes keeps disturbing pages active to help investigators. In this case, "Rick's" page is no longer online.

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