From staff reports
news@joplinglobe.com
An Independence, Kan., man is facing Jasper County charges of sexual misconduct.
Octavian C. Castorena, 43, was arrested Monday at his home after allegedly having a sexually explicit online conversation with a person he believed to be a juvenile he met over the Internet.
The “juvenile” in reality was Ed Bailey, a detective with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department who is assigned to the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Bailey on Tuesday said he was posing as a 13-year-old girl when he encountered Castorena in an Internet chat room on Oct. 5. During a single chat, Castorena allegedly engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the “girl” and exposed himself via a webcam, according to a news release from Jasper County authorities.
Bailey coordinated with the Independence Police Department, whose officers arrested Castorena at his home at the same time they served a search warrant. He was charged with sexual misconduct with a child, which is a Class D felony.
Castorena’s computer and other evidence were seized at the scene, authorities said.
