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PD: Cottonwood teen indicted for luring 14-year-old online

PD: Cottonwood teen indicted for luring 14-year-old online
Posted at 2:47 PM, Jul 30, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-31 01:04:06-04

A Cottonwood teen has been indicted on multiple charges for allegedly luring a 14-year-old girl online. 

According to Cottonwood police, 19-year-old Daniel C. Howell has been indicted on charges that include aggravated luring of a minor and sexual abuse. 

In December of 2017, police say they received a report from Howell who claimed that his Facebook account was "hacked" after a 14-year-old girl reportedly threatened to report him to police over an inappropriate online interaction between the two that Howell had started. 

Detectives then learned of additional victims and that Howell, "would report his account being hacked once he believed the underage female he contacted was going to report him to law enforcement."

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With the assistance from Yavapai County detectives and the FBI, Cottonwood police arrested Howell on July 23. 

Cottonwood police are investigating at least one additional victim in another state. 

He remains in custody at the Yavapai County Detention Center.