PA Attorney General Kelly Announces Criminal Charges In Elaborate "Facebook" False Identity Scam Targeting Young Girls For Sex

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  Attorney General Linda Kelly today announced the filing of a series of felony charges against a Butler County man accused of using Facebook to operate an elaborate and disturbing false identity scheme that was used to solicit young girls for explicit photos or meetings for sex.

Kelly identified the defendant as William R. Ainsworth, 53, 110 Raupp Lane, Mars.

Kelly explained that the investigation by the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit began in September 2011, after agents received information that Ainsworth had traveled to the home of a 14-year-old girl in Butler County in order to engage in various sex acts. Ainsworth was arrested at that time and held on numerous criminal charges related to that alleged meeting.

"We quickly discovered that there was much more to this case than the sexual solicitation of one girl," Kelly said. "What we found was an intricate web of false Facebook identities that were used to establish online relationships with vulnerable girls, who were then manipulated into sending nude photos to Ainsworth – believing he was a young surfer living in Florida – or physically meeting Ainsworth for sex – under the impression that those sexual encounters would help raise money so the girls could run away to Florida to be with their new online friend."

Kelly urged parents to use this case as a reason to have serious conversations with their children about online social networking sites like Facebook, especially concerning predators who may manipulate these sites to victimize children.

"It is important to emphasize that the people you meet online may not always be who they say, and may actually be looking for something far more than just 'friendship,'" Kelly said. "The things you say, the photos you post and your other online activities may be twisted against you in a sinister manner."