Officials with the Murfreesboro Police Department arrested a 29-year-old man from Pennsylvania, who they said made arrangements to come to Tennessee through an app called Kik.
"The communication started Saturday and he drove all the way from Pennsylvania to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to engage in sexual relations with this minor," said Kyle Evans, Murfreesboro Police Spokesperson.
"The teen's parents learned of the incident after she snuck into her own house around 6:30 a.m. on Valentine's Day, upon questioning her she disclosed that she had been engaged in sexual activities all night long with an adult from out of state "said Evans.
According to police, 29-year-old Brad Difrischia picked up the girl and took her to the Jackson Motel.
Police arrested him there after being notified by the teen's parents.
Child Advocacy Center Director Sharon De Boer said teens meeting adults via the app Kik has been happening more often than usual.
"The problem for investigators is that, when they take a child's phone and look through it often the information they need is no longer there," said De Boer.
The application is free, the only difference between KiK and your current texting application is that no one is there to confirm if those who sign up are really who they say they are.
You can share private pictures and see conversations in real-time, and also create chat groups and ask random people to join the conversation.
The application itself doesn't pose a problem, the problem comes when adults use it to lure children.
Local authorities already have a few cases in their hands involving the app.
"Child predators know what to say, they know how to say it and they know how to be convincing enough. In this case he was able to convince someone from hundreds of miles away to meet him at a local motel room to engage in sex this may be the first time he's been charged but he certainly knew what he was doing" said Evans.
The Kik application was created in Canada and has been around since 2009. According to the company, 40% of American Teenagers are currently using it.
