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Rossford man arrested, accused of sending explicit messages to undercover officer posing as 13-year-old

The suspect was taken into custody after agreeing to meet with the officer, whom he believed was a teen.

TOLEDO, Ohio — A man is charged with a felony after allegedly sending sexually explicit text messages to an undercover police officer who was portraying himself as a teen boy. 

According to a police report, 37-year-old Christopher Deszell, of Rossford, sent sexually explicit messages to an undercover Toledo police officer whom the suspect believed was a 13-year-old boy. Deszell allegedly agreed to meet with the undercover officer in public at a location in south Toledo Tuesday. Upon arriving at the location, police took Deszell into custody.

Police charged Deszell with using telecommunications to solicit a law officer posing as a child between the age of 13 and 16 for sex, a fifth-degree felony. He was also charged with attempting to commit an offense of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony. 

Deszell was released from custody on own recognizance bond Wednesday and ordered to not have contact with any unrelated minor. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 13 for a preliminary hearing. 

Deszell is pictured below:

Credit: Lucas County Corrections Center

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