Published: May 16, 2008 10:43 am            

Couple charged in Internet sex crime

The couple allegedly tried to entice a teen on the Internet into having sex.

Kokomo police went online once again to capture a couple that tried to entice a person they believed was a 15-year-old girl into having sex.

The couple, John E. Runyan, 38, and Robin Roberts, 21, both of the 1200 block of South Waugh Street, were cooperative with police and were arrested Thursday each on a C felony charge of child solicitation.

Posing as a teen on the Internet, Lt. Don Whitehead, said he was contacted by Runyan and Roberts on April 30 and again on May 14.

On both occasions, Runyan and Roberts solicited sex to the would-be teen in a Yahoo chat room.

Roberts and Runyan cooperated with investigators and were arrested at the police department.

Investigators also searched their home and seized computer hardware and software as part of the investigation.

This is second undercover Internet investigation this week, in which police were able to arrest people trying to entice young teens on the Internet to have sex.

On Monday, police arrested Eric D. Pruitt, 35, Lafayette, who traveled to Kokomo May 2 to meet a 15-year-old he met on the Internet. When he arrived in Kokomo, he was met by Whitehead, who was posing as the teen.

Pruitt is set to be arraigned on the charge in Howard Superior Court 2 on May 27.

If convicted of the C felony, the suspects face anywhere from two to eight years in prison and would pay up to a $10,000 fine.

Anyone with more information regarding this case or other Internet crime is asked to contact Whitehead at (765) 456-7248, the Kokomo Police Hotline at (765) 456-7017, or you may qualify for a cash reward by calling Central Indiana Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS with your anonymous tip.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.