Lyons man arrested for child solicitation, possession of child porn, false informing

A 35-year-old Lyons man was arrested May 15 on a warrant for child solicitation, possession of child pornography, and false informing after allegedly interacting with an 18-year-old pretending to be a minor while also possessing pornographic images of children on an electronic device. 

Greene County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Travis Hasler arrested James Stephen Myers III on a warrant for child solicitation, a Level 5 Felony; two charges of possession of child pornography, each a Level 6 Felony; and false informing, a Class B Misdemeanor. The warrant was issued May 15 in Greene Circuit Court. 

On April 4, Greene County Sheriff’s Department Det. James Elmore initiated an investigation involving Myers and an 18-year-old victim. According to a probable cause affidavit written by Elmore, Myers attempted to solicit nude images from the victim and attempted to arrange to meet with the victim when he believed the victim was 14 years old. 

On April 3, Myers used an electronic tablet to access his Facebook Messenger account and began messaging the victim, according to the probable cause affidavit. During a later interview, Myers alleged he connected with the victim through Facebook’s “People You Might Know” feature. During an interview at the Greene County Sheriff’s Department on May 7, Myers acknowledged Facebook messages provided to him were in fact him communicating with the victim.

Throughout the messages, Myers asks the victim’s age, in which the victim replies 14. Myers states that he is 30, according to the probable cause affidavit. Myers acknowledges the victim is underage and he could get in trouble. Myers asked the victim if they wanted to meet up. He also asked the victim to send a picture of their private parts. When the victim was hesitant about sending the picture and expressed their fear of getting into trouble due to their age, Myers encouraged them to send it, stating it could be deleted after. Myers also asked the victim where they lived and if they were home alone. When the victim stopped replying to messages, Myers sent several messages, asking questions about what they like to do for fun as well as intimate questions about their private areas. The victim finally replied, this time stating they had found Myers contact information and would go to the police with the evidence. The victim admitted they were not 14, but alleged Myers solicited a minor as they clearly stated at the beginning of the conversation that they were 14. 

When Det. Elmore conducted an audio and video-recorded interview with Myers at his residence on April 5, he initially alleged his Facebook account had been hacked and he was unaware of any conversation that had occurred until he went to use his electronic device. He said he observed the conversation, informed his family, and they changed the password to the account. Myers voluntarily surrendered his tablet and cell phone for forensic analysis. 

On April 10, Det. Elmore conducted an audio and video-recorded interview with the victim. During the interview, the victim advised they told Myers they were 14, thinking he would not want to converse anymore; however, that didn’t stop Myers from conversing and soliciting a photo of the victim’s private area and asking if they were alone and where they lived, according to the probable cause affidavit. Based upon the messages, Myers attempted to contact the victim for several days before the victim responded to the messages. 

On April 30, Det. Elmore received an external hard drive containing data from Myers’ electronic devices from the Monroe County High Tech Crime Unit. While reviewing the data, pornographic images of children who appeared to be less than 18 years old were located, according to the probable cause affidavit. 

On May 7, Det. Elmore conducted another audio and video-recorded interview with Myers. When questioned about the images found on the electronic devices, Myers alleged he had never seen them. He said he had been given the tablet from an individual earlier this year but had not gone through it upon receipt. Myers did confirm he was the only one with access to the electronic device. 

Det. Elmore spoke with the individual who had given Myers the tablet on May 8. The individual, according to the probable cause affidavit, confirmed he did give the device to Myers. He said he had acquired the device through a government assistance program at no cost but was unable to use it. Many times during the interview the individual stated he lacked internet access, was unfamiliar with operating the device, had never connected it to the internet, or uploaded images to it, according to the probable cause affidavit. 

Myers was booked into Greene County Jail where his bond was set at $18,500 surety with 10% cash allowed.