A former Purdue student, Benjamin Owen Rollo, has been arrested in West Lafayette for allegedly raping and sexually assaulting minors he met on Snapchat. Rollo faces charges of child molesting, sexual misconduct, and possession of child pornography. He admitted to being attracted to 12- and 13-year-old girls and had explicit videos with multiple victims. Purdue Exponent reported
A former Purdue student arrested in West Lafayette for alleged rape and sexual assaults involving minors
Investigation leads to the arrest of a former Purdue student
A former Purdue student, Benjamin Owen Rollo, aged 20, was apprehended on Friday in West Lafayette after an extensive investigation into allegations of rape and sexual assaults involving minors in Westfield and Carmel, Indiana. The victims were reportedly met by Rollo through the popular social media platform, Snapchat.
Charges filed against Rollo
Rollo is facing multiple charges, including three counts of child molesting, two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, and two counts of possession of child pornography. These charges were filed against him based on the findings of a probable cause affidavit submitted on Monday.
Rollo’s arrest and connection to Purdue
Westfield police located Rollo at a residence on Wiggins Street in West Lafayette, where he was subsequently taken into custody and transported to the West Lafayette Police Department for questioning. A spokesperson from Purdue University confirmed that Rollo had been a student, most recently in the spring semester.
Admission of guilt and disturbing preferences
During the interview with the police, Rollo confessed to soliciting explicit images from females and sharing his own explicit content around “15-20 times.” Shockingly, he also revealed his attraction towards 12- and 13-year-old girls.
Details of the alleged crimes
According to the affidavit, Rollo is accused of raping a 12-year-old girl, referred to as Minor Victim 1, in his car at Grand Park in Westfield. Additionally, he admitted to engaging in sexual activity with another individual whom he believed to be 13 years old.
Explicit videos exchanged through Snapchat
During the investigation, law enforcement discovered explicit videos exchanged between Rollo and multiple users through Snapchat. One of the recipients, identified as Minor Victim 2, confirmed receiving such videos after informing Rollo that she was 13 years old.
Further victims and emotional manipulation
Investigators also found videos exchanged with Minor Victim 3, who was 14 at the time of the incident. According to MV3, Rollo instructed her not to disclose their interactions to anyone. The affidavit states that Rollo sent explicit videos to MV3 and would emotionally manipulate her by acting disappointed and making her feel guilty whenever she refused to send videos of herself.
Disturbing evidence found on Rollo’s phone
While en route to the Hamilton County Jail, authorities questioned Rollo about the number of photos of young girls stored on his phone. Shockingly, he estimated the count to be over 1,000.
Bail set at $100,000
During the initial hearing, the judge set Rollo’s bail at $100,000.
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