Gulfport man accused of trying to meet with underage victim for sex, police say
A man is in custody in Gulfport after he attempted to meet an underage child for sex, police say.
On Tuesday, the Gulfport Police Department arrested and charged Justin Michael Cripps, 33, on one count of enticement of a child to meet for sexual purposes, one count of exploitation of children, one count of dissemination of sexually oriented material to a minor and one count resisting arrest.
Authorities were made aware that a man was attempting to meet an underage victim for sexual purposes on Jan. 4, Gulfport police said in a press release. The suspect was later identified as Cripps.
During the investigation, police say, detectives discovered Cripps had allegedly been sending explicit photos to a 9-year-old victim and using social media for sexually explicit conversations.
Cripps is being held on a $750,000 bond.
Anyone with any information on the incident can contact the Gulfport Police Department at 228-868-5959 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898.
