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MySpace.com Connected To Polk Teen Sex Case

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By JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 3, 2007

A Fort Lauderdale man met a 14-year-old Polk County girl on MySpace.com and had sex with her several times, stretching back to last summer, Polk County deputies say.

  Richard Roland Gagnon Jr.

Deputies arrested Richard Roland Gagnon Jr., 39, Saturday. Gagnon told deputies he met the girl on MySpace and later had e-mail exchanges with her and spoke with her on a cell phone, a sheriff's office release says.

The two met five times, officials said. Gagnon took the girl to local motels four times and committed lewd acts during several of those encounters, the sheriff's office said. The other time, they went to her friend's house, sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said.

Gagnon told deputies he knew she was 14, deputies said.

"This is just one more example of how pedophiles and predators are grooming our children to believe such conduct is acceptable," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "We must all work together to keep our children safe from pedophiles and predators who are online every day using their charm and charisma in order to sexually abuse our children."

Gagnon and the girl were not sure of when they first met, Rodgers said. The second time was in September, she said.

In the most recent incident, the girl left home about 11:30 p.m. Friday while her mother was sleeping to meet with Gagnon, the release says. Gagnon drove her to the Motel 6 at 3120 U.S. 98 N. in Lakeland, officials said.

The girl's mother woke up at 7 a.m. and read a note her daughter had written saying she would be back in a week. After speaking with the girl's friends, her mother called the sheriff's office. Deputies found the girl and Gagnon at the Motel 6 about 9:20 a.m. Saturday, the sheriff's office said.

Gagnon was arrested on three counts of lewd molestation, three counts of lewd battery, interference with child custody, enticing a child via the Internet and traveling to meet a minor. He remains at the Polk County Jail with no bail set.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilive@tampatrib.com.

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