A Texas man accused of raping a local 12-yearold girl in May was apprehended and booked into the Seminole County Jail Friday.

Felony charges of first-degree rape (victim under age 14) were filed Aug. 19 against Zion Joshua Hoyles, 23, of McKinney, Texas after an investigation led police to pinpoint Hoyles as the suspect in a rape of an underage girl that occurred in May.

According to an affidavit, Seminole Police began investigating the case on May 18. The victim told investigators that she had sexual relations with a man she knew only as “Z,” whom she had met through the Snapchat app. The girl said they had sex in the back of Hoyle’s car, then Hoyles dropped her off along the highway after getting gas at a local convenience store. Video footage from the store showed Hoyles pumping gas into his car there and a multi-county jury subpoenaed the store for credit card records. Further investigation revealed that a bank card issued in Hoyles’ name was used to purchase the gas.

Search warrants were issued in early June for both the victim’s and Hoyles’ Snapchat accounts. According to the affidavit, several images from the accounts were designated as Child Abuse Sexual Material (CASM). A review of the geolocation history of Hoyles’ Snapchat revealed that he was logged into a device in Chicago, Illinois. The device moved to Detroit, Michigan, then a short time later it was at Dallas-Fort Worth airport. The account then showed travel from McKinney, Texas to Seminole then back to McKinney on the night of the incident.

On July 22, Detective Chris Ayters contacted the Mckinney, Texas Police Department and was told that they had received reports that Hoyles had used Snapchat to send obscene pictures of himself to underage girls.

Police say they believe Hoyles knew the Seminole girl was underage before he had relations with her. According to the affidavit, the girl told investigators that she had told him her true age before the rape occurred.

Snapchat Safety (Child Rescue Coalition) If you have a teen or a smartphone, you’ve probably heard about Snapchat— an app that has taken the digital world by storm. With its disappearing messages and fun filters, it has become incredibly popular, especially among teens and tweens.

Snapchat, or “Snap”, is a multimedia messaging app that allows users to send photos, videos, and text messages that disappear after a short period of time. And while Snapchat can be a fun way to express oneself and stay connected with friends, it’s essential to understand the potential risks it poses to children’s safety online.

Disappearing Messages: Snapchat’s feature of disappearing messages can make it easier for predators to groom and exploit children without leaving a trace. The fact that messages, photos, and videos disappear after a short period of time can encourage risky behavior – and make it harder for parents or authorities to detect and intervene in cases of abuse.

Sexting: Snapchat has been associated with an increase in sexting among young people. According to a study by the Cyberbullying Research Center, 22% of teens surveyed reported sending nude or semi-nude photos or videos of themselves via Snapchat.

Strangers: The app’s “Quick Add” feature, which suggests friends of friends, can expose children to strangers. There have been reports of predators using this feature to add and communicate with minors.

Geolocation: Snapchat’s Snap Map feature can reveal a user’s precise location to friends or even strangers if the user has not set the appropriate privacy settings. This can put children at risk of physical harm, stalking, or cyberbullying.

Inappropriate Content: Snapchat has been known to feature explicit content, and users can easily access inappropriate content through Snap Map or by following certain accounts. This can expose children to harmful or explicit material.

For more information, visit childrescuecoalition. org.