A 29-year-old man from Trevose, Pennsylvania, was arrested after developing what police described as “a delusional online fixation” with a 14-year-old Walton County social media influencer and traveling across state lines to confront her father at their home.
- Jarred Easter was arrested by members of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Section on Aug. 18 after traveling to Florida to pursue the teenager, according to a report from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
The report states that Easter spent three months sending disturbing emails, nude photographs and obsessive messages to the email account connected to the victim’s social media page. “The conversations were entirely one-sided, revolving around photos the child had publicly posted,” the report said.
According to Walton County Sheriff’s Office investigators, Easter tracked the teen’s location through her online presence and showed up at her Walton County residence, where he confronted the child’s father in the driveway, asking to speak with her.
- After demanding Easter leave, the father called the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, police said.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit submitted a warrant for Easter’s arrest, according to the report. On Monday, investigators tracked his location to a hotel in Crestview and reached out to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office SIS for assistance. The team confirmed Easter was still at the hotel and took him into custody. He was extradited to Walton County on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
“This was a sick-minded individual who convinced himself he had a relationship with a child,” said Sheriff Michael Adkinson. “We are grateful the victim wasn’t harmed, and we are working tirelessly to ensure there are no other victims connected to this predator. Perverts who cross state lines to target children will find themselves in handcuffs.”
Easter was charged with numerous counts of sending harmful material to a minor, traveling to meet a minor for sex and using a computer to solicit a child, according to police. He was court-ordered to wear a GPS monitor, to have no contact with minors, have no access to the internet and was issued a $250,000 bond. He remains incarcerated at the time the report was sent out.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office is urging parents, especially those whose children have large social media followings, to be proactive in protecting their online safety, according to the report. Authorities warn “a digital footprint can unintentionally provide clues to a child’s location or habits.”
The Sheriff’s Office recommends parents regularly:
- Monitor their child’s online accounts and direct messages
- Encourage children NOT to share identifiable details such as school names, neighborhoods, sibling names, or frequent hangout spots
- Use privacy settings to limit who can see or comment on posts
- Remind teens that followers are NOT friends—treat every interaction with caution
- Report any suspicious contact immediately to law enforcement
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate this case and encourages anyone with information regarding Easter’s activities to come forward.
2 Responses
What is an “influencer” and why does the article not explain the term?
This whole case is disturbing. 3 months of contact? Why didn’t the “victim” block the perp or report it?
Perps don’t generally travel 1000 miles without encouragement.
Who allows a 14 yr old to be an “influencer” without supervision?