Mom Thought Her 15 Year Old Daughter Was Asleep, NEW CANEY, August 20, 2014 - Precinct 4 Deputy Constables arrested a 21-year-old New Caney man around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday during a routine traffic stop in which he lied about an underage female who was in the vehicle with him and two other men.
The stop occurred on FM 1485 at Doriston in New Caney. Deputies spoke with Jeremy Bottoms and the young female separately. The female first said she had an ID but it was not on her person. She provided a name and date of birth, which the deputy checked, and learned did not exist. She finally admitted she lied because she was only 15 and sneaked out of her house. The teen said she knew Bottoms, but not the other two men, and they said the same.
She said she met Bottoms on a social media APP named “Meet Me” that was installed on her iPad, and she and Bottoms had been texting for over a month. The girl said they had not engaged in intercourse, but admitted they had sexual discussions, and said Bottoms requested naked photos of her. She said she granted his request, sending the photos through her cell phone.
Meanwhile, a deputy asked Bottoms how he knew the teen. He claimed she was a friend of his sister, and said he thought of her “like a little sister.” Bottoms also indicated it was not unusual for the girl to be with him. The girl overheard his comment and said she did not know his sister.
A deputy called the girl’s mother, who was confused at first, saying her daughter was in bed asleep. When asked to check on the girl, the mother found her daughter was gone. She was asked to pick up the girl at the Precinct 4 Constable’s Office and to bring her daughter’s iPad. The device was seized along with Bottoms’ cell phone for further investigation into the relationship between the teenage girl and the adult male.
Jeremy Michael Bottoms is charged with False Report to Police Officer. He may face additional charges, including Enticing a Child, or more serious charges, depending on what investigators find on the iPad and phone.
Chief Deputy Barry Welch said parents should take note of the case.
“This is a perfect example of how easily social media can be misused and endanger a child,” Chief Welch said. “It was after midnight, and the parent was at home believing her daughter was safely asleep in her bedroom, but she was out somewhere in a vehicle with three grown men.”
“If the girl had disappeared, she would probably have been gone for hours before the mother knew it, and she wouldn’t have any idea what happened or where to start looking,” he said. “That’s why parents have to watch what their kids are doing, not only on the desktop computer but on any device that has internet access.”
“This girl made it home safely, but they aren’t all that lucky.”
