Cottonwood man accused of using Snapchat to sexually assault minor

PHOENIX — A northern Arizona man is accused of using a social media application to contact an underage girl who he would later allegedly sexually assault on multiple occasions.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said 55-year-old Richard Edwards from Cottonwood was accused of using Snapchat earlier this year to contact a female under the age of 15.

Police said Edwards used the application to express his “sexual desire for her.” He then allegedly used Snapchat’s location-sharing feature to find the girl’s home.

The victim told police that Edwards eventually showed up unannounced at her front door, grabbed her, forced her into a bathroom and sexually assaulted her.

She told police that Edwards “threatened to kill her if she talked.” The victim’s family reportedly knew Edwards, but their relationship was not disclosed.

Edwards then allegedly molested the victim at other locations in the weeks that followed the initial assault.

The victim eventually told a family member of the assaults because she was “so scared of Richard’s actions” and the sheriff’s office was contacted.

Edwards was arrested at his Cottonwood home on Tuesday.

He was placed in custody on charges that included sexual assault, sexual conduct with a minor, sexual abuse, luring a minor for sexual exploitation and threatening.

He remains in custody on a $500,000 cash bond.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office encouraged parents and guardians to have unrestricted access to their children’s social media accounts, as monitoring that activity is “important to the safety and welfare of young children who may be reluctant to report contact with predators.”

Related

Phoenix takes steps to reduce backlog of 40,000 police public records requestsJewish deli Scott’s Generations closing after 37 years1 dead, 1 in hospital after T-bone crash in Sun City1 dead, 1 in custody after shooting in north PhoenixOfficers arrest suspect following shooting that left 1 dead in PhoenixMan accused of murdering Lauren Heike on north Phoenix hiking trail enters guilty plea