By Pat Culverhouse

An investigation into an alleged social media-inspired meeting between a 21-year-old and an underaged Webster Parish female has ended with the arrest of a Shreveport man on a charge of carnal knowledge of a juvenile.

Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said Tyler Powell of Shreveport was picked up March 11 on an arrest warrant and booked into Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center. He was reportedly held under a $200,000 bond.

Major Bobby Igo III, head of the Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigation Division, said Powell was identified by the victim, ending an investigation which began in December of last year.

“Detective Reagan Wallace learned Powell made contact with the juvenile through a social media dating site, drove to Webster Parish and had sexual contact with the 14-year-old,” Igo said. “Det. Wallace was able to show Powell’s vehicle license tag entering the parish at the time of the encounter, then leaving after the time the reported meeting occurred.”

Igo said Powell was picked up by Louisiana State Police acting on a Webster Parish arrest warrant.

“This was an extensive, intensive investigation on the part of Det. Wallace. She took the complaint and followed a difficult trail of evidence that eventually led to this arrest,” Igo said. “It took some time, but when it comes to crimes against our children, we’re going to follow the trail no matter how long it takes or where it takes us.”

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.