Georgia Man Arrested After Traveling To Flagler For Sex With A Minor He Met Online

Posted
Palm Coast, FL - A 20-year-old Georgia man is facing charges after he allegedly traveled to Flagler County and engaged in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl, who was on vacation in Palm Coast from out-of-state, that he met on XBOX. On Tuesday, Zachary Lee Dyksterhouse of Hawkinsville, Georgia, was arrested after the girl’s family called the police to report a suspicious man in their backyard who had his pants unzipped. According to Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) investigators, Dyksterhouse engaged in sexual activity with the 14-year-old victim. The victim and Dyksterhouse had been communicating through XBOX for several months before the incident. Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly is asking parents to keep an eye on their children’s internet activity including all social media, email, and chat room accounts. “Smartphones, tablets, computers, and all of the electronic methods are easily accessible to children from any device,” said Sheriff Staly. “Parents should keep their kids off of social media as long as possible and, if they have computers or smartphones, parents should be checking them daily to ensure they are being used responsibly.” The FCSO recommends that age-appropriate restrictions be put on electronic devices and that parents limit the amount of screen time their kids have. Parents are also urged to discuss the potential dangers of talking to strangers over the internet. “The overabundance of ways to connect with our kids can make being a parent today a bit more difficult,” said Sheriff Staly. “But I also think it needs to make parents more aware than ever of who your child is talking to and what they are saying. Don’t let your child become a victim.” Dyksterhouse was charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a child aged 12 to 16 years old. He was taken to the Flagler County Detention Center where he remains on a $150,000 bail.

(Dyksterhouse's mugshot courtesy of the FCSO)

Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2018.