Officials: Inmate used cellphone to contact detective posing as girl

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A 35-year-old felon who was about to be released from Volusia County's Tomoka Correctional Institution was instead jailed in Orange County.

Stephen Turner is accused of using a cellphone to chat with and send explicit photos and messages to an Orlando police detective posing as a 14-year-old girl.

Turner, who was imprisoned on a felony drug charge, was scheduled to be released from prison this month, but using the screen name badboy2death, he contacted the detective, who had created an online profile of a child decoy, an arrest report said.

"I told him several times that I was 14 years old. He stated he didn't care," the report quoted the detective as saying.

The report said Turner asked for pictures of the child and sent pictures of himself.

The reported stated the detective said Turner was very explicit, saying, "He would teach the child anything she wanted to know."

The report stated Turner said he "wanted to get matching tattoos once released in November" and he "made plans to pick her up on the day of his release" to leave for California.

The Florida Department of Corrections told Channel 9 that Turner was allowed to have a cellphone because he had minimal time left in prison and was on work release, but he was placed in confinement once his inappropriate conversations came to light.

"The department has zero tolerance for inmate misconduct and any action that would lead to the further victimization of individuals in the community," the agency said.

Turner is scheduled to be arraigned later this month on three felony charges, including solicitation of a minor.

Cox Media Group