Providence Man, 28, Attempted To Lure Underage Girl Into Rendezvous: Cops

MIDDLEBOROUGH, MA — A Providence man repeatedly asked an underage Massachusetts girl for sexually explicit messages and attempted to lure her into rendezvousing with him in person, police said.

Efrain Ixcuna, 28, was arrested and charged with enticement of a child under 16, attempt to commit a crime and reckless sexual endangerment of a child, the Middleborough Police Department said in a media release.

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A parent contacted police Sept. 5 to report "their child had been receiving inappropriate and sexual messages from an unknown male.," according to the release.

"The investigation revealed that the male, later identified as Ixcuna, initially contacted the child through the social media application Snapchat," the release said. "Ixcuna continued communications by text messages and allegedly attempted to deceive the child by falsely claiming he was 16 years old."

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Detectives took over the girl's phone and continued to communicate with Ixcuna, according to police.

"Ixcuna was repeatedly informed that the child was underage," the release said. "Despite knowing this, he allegedly continued to send sexually explicit messages consistent with grooming behavior, including repeatedly asking for photographs and in-person meetings."

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Undercover detectives set up a meeting with Ixcuna Sunday and arrested him when he showed up, according to the release.

"A search of the Ixcuna’s vehicle revealed what appeared to be gifts intended for the child, including jewelry and a stuffed animal," the release said.

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Middleborough Police Chief Robert Ferreira credited the girl's parents for their awareness.

"First, I'd like to highlight the actions of an observant and vigilant parent," Ferreira said in the release. "This case should serve as an important reminder for all parents and guardians to maintain a close and vigilant eye on their children's social media presence."

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