A 36-year-old Camden man faces child exploitation charges after he allegedly used TikTok and text messages to solicit nude photos from a 7-year-old girl.
Elmer Lao was charged with second-degree attempted manufacturing of child sexual abuse material and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday.
The investigation began Monday, July 20, after the girl's mother discovered messages on her daughter's phone and immediately contacted law enforcement, according to NBC Philadelphia. The Camden County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit and High Tech Crimes Unit took the case.
Investigators determined Lao knew the girl was 7 years old. He sent nude videos of himself and asked her to send nude photos in return, according to Fox 29.
"She did everything right. She was present. She was aware and as soon as she saw danger on her child's phone, she immediately talked to her daughter and reported it to law enforcement," Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay said of the girl's mother.
Two days later, on Wednesday, July 22, investigators searched Lao's Camden home. That's where K9 Officer "Rookie" came in. Rookie is an electronic detection dog trained to locate devices by sniffing out chemicals used to prevent phones from overheating. The dog found a cell phone hidden in Lao's bedroom that had been used to communicate with the girl.
Lao was arrested July 22 and taken to the Camden County Correctional Facility. Court records show he previously served time for distribution of child pornography and abuse, according to NBC Philadelphia. His detention hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Prosecutor MacAulay said her office is seeing more crimes involving social media platforms targeting children, including on TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. She urged parents to regularly monitor their children's messages and have ongoing conversations about online safety.
Anyone with information about this case can contact Detective Jessica Minniti of the Special Victims Unit at (856) 225-8537 or submit tips online at CAMDEN.TIPS.
