(WXYZ) — A Rochester Hills man has been charged with allegedly using Instagram to meet a 15-year-old to engage in sexual activity.
Valor Harrison, 22, was arraigned on Thursday on charges including third-degree criminal sexual conduct and accosting a child for immoral purposes.
Watch Brett Kast's video report below:
The investigation dates back to July, when investigators say Harrison contacted the 15-year-old on Instagram and then met the teen. The teen reported the incident to her parents, who reported it to police.
Detectives from Northville Township and Canton Township police took Harrison into custody on Tuesday.
"Unfortunately, this a trend we're seeing here in Michigan and across the country,” said Lt. Patrick Reinke with the Northville Township Police Department. "As social media is becoming more popular over the years, it’s been an easy space for people to reach out to children and victimize them and exploit them in a variety of different ways.”
Police say that Harrison has had previous run-ins with law enforcement. According to The State News, Harrison pleaded no contest to criminal sexual conduct in January after messaging a Michigan State University student online, following her to her dorm and assaulting her.
According to The State News, Harrison reportedly talked openly about the tactics, saying he hoped his nonstop messaging on social media to students and prowling the campus would help him meet girls. The incident reportedly happened in December 2023 and Harrison was just sentenced in April to one day in jail and 5 years probation, according to court records.
Given the crime and Harrison's history, police say there could be additional victims.
"Our primary concern with crimes of this nature is that there are additional victims," Reinke said. "So, we really want to get his face out there, encourage anyone else who may have been a victim or may have had any kind of contact with him to reach out to us."
Parent Chris McKenna is founder of the Michigan-based group Protect Young Eyes. He says delaying social media use for kids is the best option, but if parents opt to allow it, staying involved is critical.
"That foundation is relationship, building digital trust, having frequent conversations, dripping conversations in all of the time, letting them know they can always land safely and softly with you no matter what happens, that there’s never a bad time,” McKenna said. “If we are going to drop our teens into these environments, it's a requirement these are the things we do as a parent.”
“Most important thing parents can do is just talk to your kids about healthy relationships, talk to them about safety on social media and on the internet,” Reinke said. "Just pay attention to your kids. If you notice anything different, if anything seems off, ask questions and look into that and try to figure out what's going on. That’s your best line of defense.”
