IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — A Statesville man is facing charges for an alleged sexual relationship with a teen, Iredell County deputies said.
The Iredell County Sheriff's Office received a tip about the alleged statutory rape of a 13-year-old in early July. The victim told investigators she met the suspect, 22-year-old Deshon Remon Barber, on Instagram. Electronic evidence shows the suspect chatted online with the victim for several weeks, the detective said.
"Discussions led to them meeting each other and being involved in the statutory rape situation," Detective Sgt. Patrick Dixson with the sheriff's office said. "Really emphasizes the dangers of social media for kids.”
Investigators obtained felony warrants against Barber on two counts of felony statutory rape of a person who is 15 years of age or younger. Detectives say the incidents happened between February and June of 2024. Barber was arrested by the Iredell County Sheriff's Office warrant squad on Friday, Aug. 23. He was given a $150,000 bond.
The case adds to a concerning trend of adults talking with young people online.
"There's adults out there who want to prey on children and sadly that's the nature of the world we live in today," Dixson said. "New apps are popping up every day, right? So, it's hard for parents to keep up."
He also added parents can be proactive by simply talking with their kids.
"I would say, go online, try and educate yourselves every so often," he said, "sit down with your kids, have a discussion with them, say 'these are the things that I've seen happen.'"
Some people in the area say they were surprised to hear the news, but not shocked that something like this could happen on social media.
“You see a lot of like older, older people on there and they want to do bad stuff and it’s not cool," Titus Graham said.
"I have younger brothers and thinking of something happening to them like that is just really traumatizing," Kylee Settlenyer said. "Just more safety features and really talking about who you talk to.”
Barber has two previous convictions for resisting a public officer. His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 11.
Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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