A Rhode Island man appeared in a Massachusetts court Monday to answer to charges of child rape.
Police in Hanson said 23-year-old Jared Soltys, a Connecticut native who lives in Providence and attends Brown University, was arrested early Saturday morning after posting a video on social media recorded in the area of Pleasant Street.
In court Monday, prosecutors explained that Soltys allegedly met a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old through Snapchat.
"He recently met the two victims through social media on Snapchat," said Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Zachary Ferris.
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The Hanson Police Department was alerted to the situation by another teenager in town who spotted an inappropriate post with the girls and an older man. Within a half hour of the video getting posted, police located Soltys, his vehicle and the girls near an intersection that officers recognized from the video.
"We did speak to that young man and explain to him the significance of what he did and that he should be proud of himself," Hanson Police Officer Corey Arseneau said of the person who reported the video to authorities.
Police say at first, Soltys lied about his own age and said he didn't know the ages of the girls.
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Soltys' attorney says his client doesn't have a criminal record and is studying biotechnology at the graduate level.
"Additional facts will come out, but there will be no further comment at this time. Thank you," said attorney Francis O'Brien.
Soltys was released on $5,000 bail and will be back in court in June. Police said he could face additional charges.
