Latrobe man convicted of illicit contact with a minor accused of soliciting images from girl

A Latrobe man serving time at home on electronic monitoring for illicit contact with a juvenile in 2017 was arrested again Wednesday by state police on new charges of having a girl send him explicit images through social media.

Cristofer R. Dowden, 21, was arraigned on two counts of indecent sexual assault of a child under 16 and single counts of child pornography, corruption of minors, criminal use of a communication facility and statutory sexual assault filed by state police. He was being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $10,000 bond.

The investigation began in July when the mother of a 14-year-old girl contacted state police after finding explicit images and videos on her daughter’s social media account, Trooper Zachary Bell reported.

The woman told troopers that she was able to learn that a man had made a “friend request” in June to her daughter’s Snapchat account and the girl had been in regular contact with him. The woman provided state troopers with the suspect’s computer user name and account information, according to court papers.

Police identified Dowden through his account information, Bell reported.

According to court dockets, investigators subsequently learned that Dowden pleaded guilty Feb. 3 before Judge Tim Krieger to having illicit contact with a minor in 2017. He was sentenced to 23 months on home electronic monitoring.

Since Dowden was still under supervision of the county probation department, Bell reported troopers were able to seize his cellphone in August and extracted communications between Dowden and the minor. Bell reported that the girl told Dowden over the summer that she was 14.

Forensic analysis of the cellphone disclosed “numerous sexually explicit photographs” the girl sent Dowden, according to Bell.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Dec. 14.