DARLINGTON - A Gratiot man faces felony charges that he sent nude photos to two underage girls and solicited photos and videos from one of them.
Tyler Robert Everson, 22, was charged in December in Lafayette County Circuit Court with one count of possessing child pornography, a Class D felony, one count of causing a child age 13 to 18 to view sexual activity, a Class H felony, and two counts of exposing a child to harmful material, a Class I felony.
At a hearing March 20, his attorney requested a preliminary hearing at a later date, and the case was scheduled for a status conference May 1.
The case stems from an investigation into photos shared with two girls, ages 14 and 15, in April 2017. Staff at the girls' school reported the activity.
According to the criminal complaint, the 14-year-old told police she received a nude photo of Everson on her cellphone. The 15-year-old also reported receiving nude photos from him and said she and Everson communicated via Facebook Messenger and Snapchat, including video chats.
Everson denied sending the initial nude photo of himself and said a friend sent it using his phone because the friend knew his password.
"Everson stated he does not send nude photographs to minors and stated he would take a lie detector test," according to the criminal complaint.
But when police offered to set up a lie detector test for him, Everson changed his mind and told them he was not willing to undergo the test.
A search of Everson's phone showed messages between Everson and the older girl. At one point he asked her how old she was, to which she truthfully answered 15. He subsequently pressured her to send him photos and video of sexual activity, and she eventually complied.
- Kayla Barnes and Katjusa Cisar
Tyler Robert Everson, 22, was charged in December in Lafayette County Circuit Court with one count of possessing child pornography, a Class D felony, one count of causing a child age 13 to 18 to view sexual activity, a Class H felony, and two counts of exposing a child to harmful material, a Class I felony.
At a hearing March 20, his attorney requested a preliminary hearing at a later date, and the case was scheduled for a status conference May 1.
The case stems from an investigation into photos shared with two girls, ages 14 and 15, in April 2017. Staff at the girls' school reported the activity.
According to the criminal complaint, the 14-year-old told police she received a nude photo of Everson on her cellphone. The 15-year-old also reported receiving nude photos from him and said she and Everson communicated via Facebook Messenger and Snapchat, including video chats.
Everson denied sending the initial nude photo of himself and said a friend sent it using his phone because the friend knew his password.
"Everson stated he does not send nude photographs to minors and stated he would take a lie detector test," according to the criminal complaint.
But when police offered to set up a lie detector test for him, Everson changed his mind and told them he was not willing to undergo the test.
A search of Everson's phone showed messages between Everson and the older girl. At one point he asked her how old she was, to which she truthfully answered 15. He subsequently pressured her to send him photos and video of sexual activity, and she eventually complied.
- Kayla Barnes and Katjusa Cisar