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Church group leader accused of sexting teen, deputies say

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A church youth group leader was arrested Tuesday after he was accused of sexting a teen on Snapchat, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said Kyle Breen, 21, sent nude pictures of himself to an underage girl through the messaging app.

Breen told investigators he thought it was legal to send nude pictures to a 16-year-old.

Detectives said what may have started as a friendly exchange veered off course when Breen reportedly asked the girl, “do you send nudes?”

According to the report, the victim told Breen she was 16 and asked him if that was OK.

Breen allegedly said “yeah” and continued sending pictures of himself to her, officials said.

He told the victim to keep it all a secret until she was older, according to deputies.

"She notified her mother right away when the conversation turned inappropriate and he started sending nude photos," a deputy said.

When officers came knocking on his door, they said he claimed he thought she was old enough at 16 to consent to exchanging sexual pictures.

Investigators said Breen was let go at the church before this incident over concerns that he was too close with some of the kids in the youth group.

"They set parameters as far as the youth don't have lunch with them, don't become their friend. It's a mentor type thing and I think he kind of superseded those boundaries and they let him go," a deputy said.

Officials with the church said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened by the allegations about Kyle Breen. These are serious allegations and investigations that affect many people. We are prepared to help in any way we can and are fully operating with the Lake County Sheriff Department. If you need a safe place to talk, we have a counseling department that can be reached at 352-989-4494."

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