Sheriff: Man wanted sex with teen

HURON TWP. — A Cleveland man is facing felony charges after he was arrested in Huron Township on Thursday. Jacob Auger, 31, of the 4500 block of Big Met Place, is facing one fifth-degree felony count of possessing criminal tools and one fifth-degree felony count of importuning. Importuning occurs when an adult who is more than four years older than a minor solicits the minor for sex, according to Ohio's criminal code. The arrest culminated from an operation the Erie County Sheriff's Office ran in conjunction with the HEAL Human Trafficking Task Force. In late September, a sheriff's office detective posted to a social media app posing as a 14-year-old girl. The decoy account posted, "Why does everyone act like I'm so young?" Auger allegedly replied and asked the decoy account how old she was, with the detective replying 14 years old, according to a sheriff's office report. Auger then said, "You're not that young." Auger then engaged in conversation with the decoy account over the course of 10 days, according to the report. He allegedly offered the decoy account a gift card for a lingerie store if he would then receive pictures of the decoy in whatever was purchased. During the course of the conversation, Auger reportedly spoke in a "sexual manner and referenced being sexually experienced," according to the report. On Thursday, Auger and the decoy account agreed to meet. Auger reportedly said he was bringing a sex toy and either the decoy could use it, or Auger could use it on her, according to the report. Auger pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant near the decoy account's home address. A sheriff's office deputy initiated a traffic stop and arrested Auger. When Auger was searched incident to arrest, deputies reportedly found a sex toy, condoms, a cellphone, receipts, cash and a lingerie store gift card. He was taken to Erie County Jail. As of late Monday, he is still incarcerated there under a $60,000 bond. He has an arraignment scheduled for 9 a.m. on Tuesday in Huron Municipal Court. Fifth-degree felonies in Ohio are punishable by up to one year in jail. If convicted of both charges, Auger could face two years in jail. It is unknown if prosecutors will add additional charges. "The community should be very aware that individuals who want to engage in this sort of activity are active on social media," Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said. "Parents need to be aware of what adolescents and children are doing through social media." "Our detectives, in conjunction with the HEAL task force, are working very hard to counteract this sort of insidious activity," Sigsworth said.