Franklin County man arrested over allegations of grooming preschooler
GALLOWAY, Ohio (WCMH) – A Franklin County man has been arrested after it was reported he expressed a desire to groom a 4-year-old girl.
According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber tip from the electronic service provider Kik. The tip was in reference to conversations flagged and alleged child sexual abuse material being shared by a user named “huarmy9”.
The online user reportedly discussed a desire to groom a 4-year-old girl when she is older. The user then sent material that the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said involved a toddler-aged child being sodomized by an adult male.
Investigators secured an IP address, which was located at a Galloway home on Kellybrook Place, north of U.S. 40. A search warrant on the Kik account further confirmed the user to be 26-year-old Jordan Wheeler, whose identity was also revealed via selfie photos and in chats where he provided additional information such as his personal cell phone number.
Wheeler also allegedly spoke of having a Mega account with over 400 files of child sexual abuse material.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office conducted an interview on April 2 with Wheeler based on an unrelated incident. After his phone was seized, he was placed under arrest and charged with one count each of second-degree and fourth-degree felony pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor.
A Franklin County Municipal Court judge issued Wheeler a $1 million bond and ordered him to next appear in court on April 11 for a preliminary hearing.