WASHINGTON — A man is in police custody after officials say he solicited sex from a 15-year-old Howard County boy.
Howard County police say 30-year-old Philip William La Rocca of Dundalk, Maryland, sent inappropriate text messages to an Ellicott City 15-year-old he met on a social networking site. La Rocca is being charged with sexual solicitation of a minor and two counts of second-degree sex offense.
Police began investigating May 26 when the 15-year-old’s parents told police their son was having inappropriate text conversations with an unknown man. The teen told police he met the man through the website, “Jack’d” and the man was sending him sexually explicit messages and photos.
Following the teen’s report, police began communicating with the man posing as a teen. The man sent messages and photos to police thinking it was the teen and police were able to link the messages to La Rocca.
Further investigation revealed the victim and suspect had met on two previous occasions and engaged in sexual activity.
La Rocca solicited the boy for sex acts again on Tuesday and police, posing as the juvenile, agreed to meet at an Ellicott City parking lot. When La Rocca showed up, police arrested him.
He is being held at the Howard County Detention Center without bail.
Police say the incident is a good reminder for parents to be aware of their children’s use of social media.
Police are asking anyone else who may have been solicited by La Rocca to contact police at 410-313-STOP.
