People v. Merrill CA3

BACKGROUND

In July 2020, 12-year-old J.K. met Merrill, who was in his 30’s, at a local park. J.K. and Merrill exchanged text messages about relationships and girls. In a message sent in mid-November 2020, Merrill referred to J.K. as his “sugar baby” and wrote, “Love you more than you will ever know.” J.K. and Merrill arranged to meet at J.K.’s grandmother’s house, where J.K. planned to sneak outside and give Merrill a hug. J.K. met Merrill about “three or four” times. Merrill once made a sexual advance towards

J.K.

On the night of November 18, 2020, J.K.’s mother caught him sneaking out of the house on his bicycle. J.K. claimed he was meeting a friend. Upon checking his cell phone, J.K.’s mother discovered a text message J.K. had sent to Merrill stating, “got caught sneaking outside.” Unfamiliar with Merrill’s name as one of J.K.’s friends, she searched the Megan’s Law website for individuals in the area near the park, found Merrill’s name and photograph, and reported the messages to the police. J.K. was interviewed by a police detective, and a search of Merrill’s residence ensued. During the search, Merrill admitted to meeting J.K. in the park and

2 Undesignated rule…