PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – A Southport man is in the Bay County Jail facing child solicitation charges.
Bay County Sheriff’s investigators say 39-year-old Peter Keukelaar was using social media sites to contact teenagers. He allegedly offered a Pasco County teen money to buy nude photos and sent nude photos of himself. He also contacted another 14-year-old boy who turned out to be an undercover police officer in Panama City, authorities said. One in five children report being contacted by an online predator, and Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford says this is one of their top priorities.
“We have put a number of people in jail on these charges and we will continue to do so. These efforts are to keep children safe or reduce incidents of human trafficking,” Ford said.
Online predators are one of the reasons the Florida House and Senate passed a bill that would ban anyone 16 and under from having an online account. Gov. Ron DeSantis has some concerns about the bill and has not yet signed it, but Ford said he understands the thinking behind it.
“I think it’s not a bad idea for the Legislature to have some control over this, whether that’s the way to do it or not. And whether the governor agrees with that. That’s a little bit beyond my capabilities, but understanding what they’re trying to accomplish, ” Ford said.
If it becomes law, it could become an additional layer to protect children from online predators. Ford said there are ways parents can be more proactive.
“On our app and the County Sheriff’s Office app website, as well as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website. There is a way for parents to identify sex offenders, sex offenders, who may have lived in the neighborhood where they were children, where they lived places or near where your kids go to school, things like that,” Ford said.
For more help keeping you and your children safe, click here. If you would like more information about sexual predators in your area of Bay County, you can download their app.