15-year-old Minnesota girl sexually groomed via Snapchat and Purp app by international predator leading to criminal charges
Summary
A teenage girl from Rochester, Minnesota, was allegedly solicited for sexual images by a 35-year-old South African man through Snapchat in 2023. The victim, who claimed to be 15 years old in the messages, sent sexually explicit images after beginning contact on an app called Purp and later moved to Snapchat. The suspect, Terrance Govender, reportedly threatened the teen if she did not comply with his requests for explicit images, according to a court complaint. Rochester police began the investigation in April 2023 after an adult in the victim’s life reported the messages. Govender faces charges including using minors in pornographic work and aiding and abetting second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Authorities are pursuing international extradition as Govender resides in South Africa and is also suspected of similar activity in Missouri.
Incident Details
Harms involving the exploitation, abuse, or endangerment of minors, including CSAM and grooming.
Child sexual abuse material — the creation, distribution, or possession of such content.
Online contact by adults seeking to build trust with minors for exploitation.
Sources
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