Florida police investigation snares Bardwell man on felony charges

A police investigation that originated in Florida has snared a Bardwell man.

Deputies with the Carlisle County Sheriff’s Office arrested 22-year-old Jeremiah Rudolph in Bardwell on Wednesday after a months-long investigation. Panama City Beach Police were tipped off in January by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about the sharing of images showing a sexual performance by a minor via Snapchat. The Criminal Intelligence Unit of the Panama City Beach Police opened an investigation into the alleged images and was able to trace the Snapchat account back to Rudolph.

In early April, the Criminal Intelligence Unit from Panama City Beach reached out for assistance from the Carlisle County Sheriff’s Office. Rudolph was contacted and agreed to be interviewed by deputies. During that interview, he reportedly admitted to having communication, some of it inappropriate, with the underage girl. With that information, Panama City Beach Police got a warrant for Rudolph, charging him with solicitation of a minor for sexual acts via the internet.

Rudolph was arrested on Wednesday and will be extradited back to Florida to face the charges.