Adults seeking dates online need to look out for teenagers who falsify their identities, as much as children need to protect themselves from predators, an expert says.
“It can be a tricky thing, because some teenage girls can look older than they really are and lie about their age,” said Beyond Borders spokeswoman Corey Martell.
Michael Hoffart, 27, of Sherwood Park, met a girl online who allegedly claimed she was 20, and he’s now facing charges because the girl is under the age of consent.
It wasn’t until the two were allegedly caught by police while engaging in sexual activities in Hoffart’s car near Gibbons on Saturday that he learned the girl was 15.
“I was disgusted with myself beyond mortification when the arresting officer told me how old she was,” Hoffart told Metro.
