Ottawa truck driver facing charges in Florida after allegedly trying to lure child
Warning: The following story includes disturbing details.
Ottawa long-haul truck driver Matthew Marchand, better known to many as Twitter user “My World Through A Windshield” has been jailed in Florida after allegedly sending sexually explicit messages to a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.
In court documents obtained by CTV News the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office alleges Marchand was caught in a sting operation targeting “suspects that use the internet to sexually exploit children.”
Partially released transcripts from a conversation between an undercover detective and Marchand on an unnamed e-commerce website describe an explicit and intimate conversation.
The texter allegedly asked the girl how old she was, to which the detective replied “13.”
Police say the texter responded “how big are your boobies? Do you want to see a boy’s penis?”
After a detective wrote back “if u want” the accused then allegedly sent a picture of male genitalia.
The photo was one of multiple explicit photos, and a video, that police say were sent to them during the conversation. CTV News reached out to the sheriff’s office for comment, but did not receive a response before deadline.
According to court documents, Marchand has been placed on administrative leave by his employers, Premier Bulk Systems, based out of Gormley, Ont.
The company declined to comment on Marchand’s arrest or the circumstances surrounding his leave.
Marchand gained a Twitter following for posting photos of the road from his long-haul trips. CTV News Ottawa interviewed him in January when he was among those stranded in a Virginia snowstorm.
On July 22, Marchand posted he was stepping away from social media. Court documents show Marchand was arrested in South Carolina on July 14.
Marchand posted he was in Walterboro, S.C. on July 13. He remains in custody in Florida, under a $75,000 bond. He faces up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each charge under Florida state law.
The charges against him have not been proven in court.
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