Florida Teen Who Had Sex With 13-Year-Old Girl He Met On Instagram Arrested

An 18-year-old Florida teen was arrested after he admitted to having sex with an underage girl he met on Instagram.

The incident came to light after the police launched a search for two girls who were reported missing from the city of Margate, WPLG Local 10 reported.

Authorities told the local media that last Tuesday they had spotted a black Audi parked in the back of Coral Gate Park. When they approached the vehicle, they found a man sitting in the driver’s seat with the 13-year-old girl who was half naked. A 12-year-old girl was in the backseat with another man.

After questioning them, the police found the two girls had met the men on Instagram a few weeks ago. The 13-year-old told the police the two men had gone to Margate to meet her and her foster sister. The girl said they drove to Calypso Cove, located at Royal Palm Boulevard, but when they saw a marked patrol car, they went to another location as the men wanted to “smoke weed,” WPLG Local 10 reported.

The 13-year-old girl said one of the men, identified as Judley Joseph, had sex with her. She also said the man had used a condom, and disposed of the used condom by throwing it out the window. He then drove the girls home.

It remains unclear if the sex between the teenage man and the underage girl was consensual. The identity of the second man in the vehicle has not been revealed by police.

The police took Joseph into custody and during questioning, the teenager admitted to having sex with the girl on a previous occasion. However, he said Tuesday night he did not have sex with the girl as his plan was interrupted by the officer.

Joseph of West Palm Beach was arrested and charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior with a victim between the ages of 12 and 16 with bond set at $20,000 for each count, WPLG Local 10 news reported. According to Broward County court records, Joseph was released from the Broward County jail on Thursday after he posted a bond.