East Valley man accused of harassing minor, posting explicit images of her online

PHOENIX – An East Valley man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly harassing a minor and distributing explicit images of her, authorities said.

Elijah Deshong, 19, was booked into jail on more than 30 counts after a yearlong investigation, according to the Gilbert Police Department.

According to court records, the Apache Junction resident is facing multiple charges of computer tampering, unlawful disclosure of images, sexual exploitation of a minor and aggravated harassment. His bond was set at $500,000.

Police received eight reports from March 2025 to March 2026 about Deshong’s alleged actions involving a female minor. The victim’s age was not released.

Detectives found evidence that Deshong violated an order of protection, tampered with the girl’s social media accounts and distributed explicit photos and videos of her, according to court records.

They also uncovered information related to a Mesa Police Department investigation into similar crimes involving another victim, a 15-year-old girl, in 2021.

Gilbert investigators served more than 20 search warrants while establishing probable cause to arrest Deshong.

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