OCEAN CITY, Md. - An Oklahoma man has been sentenced after a Worcester County State Attorney's Office investigation into inappropriate conversations with a teenager in Ocean City. The Ocean City Police Department is reminding parents and guardians about the dangers children face with social media and online chat platforms.
The man, 24-year-old Wyatt Andrew Johnson, pleaded guilty to one count of publishing/distributing obscene material. Ocean City Police began looking into Johnson in 2020 when Child Protective Services referred the case. The investigation revealed that Johnson and a teenager who was 14 years old at the time were engaging in an online sexual relationship through Discord, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and iMessage. Police say that the two met in a group chat specifically for people interested in diaper-wearing and baby role-play. According to authorities, Johnson gave "commands" to the teen for sexual humiliation.
On Nov. 27 Johnson agreed to a plea deal sentencing him to one year in jail with all except for 39 day suspended. The Ocean City Police Department is warning parents and guardians of the risks associated with social media. Police say chat applications and websites are hot spots for predators who may pose as a child looking to make a new friend. The National Children's Advocacy Center provides some tips on how to stay safe online and warning signs parents can look for:
- Never post personal information
- Never share passwords with anyone
- Never meet in person with someone from online
- Children spending long hours online, especially at night
- Children getting phone calls from unknown people