What happened: A 52-year-old man was taken into custody outside a Delray Beach Chipotle on Saturday night after a Russian YouTuber posed as a 15-year-old girl and arranged to meet him on Tinder.
Background: Jeffrey Alan Mark was taken into custody at the West Linton Boulevard location after being confronted by " Vitaly Streamers ," a social media group run by Boca Raton-based content creator Vitaly Zdorovetskiy that targets alleged chld predator, according to the Delray Beach Police Department. the team had been messaging Mark for three days.
Despite being explicitly told the operative was only 15, investigators say Mark continued texting across two phone numbers—including one tied to his business, Sexy Beans Coffee — to send explicit messages, ask personal questions, and text a photo of his genitals. A search of his pockets turned up the cell phone used to arrange the meeting.
During an interview with detectives, Mark acknowledged he knew the girl was underage. He told officers he was going through a stressful divorce and feared losing custody of his daughter, claiming he only planned to meet the teen Saturday night to build a relationship before bringing her back to have S3x the following day.
When officers approached Mark outside the restaurant, he reportedly panicked, stating he couldn't lose his job and had made a huge mistake. Mark was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond.
He faces three felony charges: traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful S3x act, transmitting material harmful to minors, and using a communications device to facilitate a felony.
The available details are limited to the information verified at publication time. Readers should expect updates as the matter develops.
Any person identified in connection with an alleged offense is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Source: official sources including CBS12 News.
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