Arrest made after Apex teen reports lewd video she got on social media

APEX, N.C. (WTVD) -- A 15-year-old Apex girl did what so many parents hope their child would do.

She reported being sent a lewd video on social media by a grown man.

Six weeks later police arrested a 40-year-old Johnston County man and charged him with indecent liberties with a child and disseminating obscene material to a minor.

Hector Valencia was given a $50,000 bond on those felony charges and bailed out of jail overnight.

He faced a judge for the first time Friday at the Wake County Justice Center.

Since he was out of jail an ABC 11 reporter dropped by his house Friday and found him in his driveway.

Asked about the case, Valencia said, "I don't have no words. My lawyer has already taken care of it."

Before he could be asked what that meant, a woman with him interrupted and told the reporter to leave.

Apex investigators don't know what he meant by that "taken care of."

"This hasn't been adjudicated in court yet. From our end, it's not been finished," said Mitch McKinney, the Deputy Chief of the Apex Police Department.

He added, "We have made an arrest. We have served multiple charges on the suspect, and we are waiting to let the District Attorney of Wake County proceed the criminal prosecution of the case. So from our perspective it's still an ongoing case."

McKinney said police don't believe Valencia knew the girl before their alleged contact on social media.

And it's not clear that Valencia knew her age.

But McKinney said that doesn't matter because it's up to adults to make sure their online actions are not a crime.

"You need to be responsible and ensure that what you're engaging in is lawful activity and not criminal activity," he said. "And absolutely this was criminal activity."

McKinney said he hopes the case will be an impetus for parents to talk to their kids about their social media activity.