29-04-2025
Anderson man charged with child sexual trafficking
ANDERSON — An Anderson man has been arrested on charges of promotion of child sexual trafficking and child solicitation.
Anderson police arrested Austin M. Roy, 25, 2600 block of Main Street, Saturday, for soliciting nude photographs from a 12-year-old girl. He faces a possible prison sentence of 3-16 years.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by APD officer Courtney Ginder, Roy made contact with the girl in 2024. A witness told police that Roy was sending the girl sexual Facebook messages.
During a Kids Talk forensic interview, the girl, reportedly, said Roy at first asked her to send nude photographs of herself in exchange for a vape pen.
The girl told interviewers that she did not send Roy nude photographs but did send him photos of her dancing.
Earlier this year, Roy wrote in a message that wasn't sent that he wanted to meet the girl for a sexual encounter, police said.
In another instance, according to the affidavit, the girl replied to Roy, 'I'm not a whore. I don't sell my body.'
During a police interview, Roy said the girl started messaging him on Facebook.
Allegedly, he told police that he did cross the line by sending specific messages and, at one point, was just 'joking.'
Roy said he could have been drunk when messaging the girl, the affidavit stated.
Roy said it 'throws him' that he was getting all of the blame when, he claimed, the girl had provoked the relationship, according to police.
The Herald Bulletin does not report the names of alleged victims of child molesting.
