HOMER, N.Y. (AP) — A Cayuga County sheriff’s deputy has been arrested after New York State Police alleged he engaged in an explicit relationship with a 14-year-old boy whom he met online.
Hunter R. Lawrence, 25, of Auburn, was taken into custody following an investigation into allegations that he communicated with the juvenile through Snapchat before engaging in sexual activity with him multiple times between February and May, according to investigators.
State police allege the encounters occurred between 10 and 15 times while the boy was 14 and 15 years old. Authorities said the meetings took place in Lawrence’s pickup truck on a dead-end road near the victim’s home and at least once at Lawrence’s residence.
Investigators also allege Lawrence invited the boy to accompany him on a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, where he planned to visit bars, and asked whether the teen had a fake identification card. The boy reportedly declined the invitation, later telling investigators he found the request unusual because Lawrence was a law enforcement officer.
According to investigators, Lawrence told authorities he believed the boy was 18 years old because the teen had initially represented himself as an adult when they first met online. However, under New York law, a mistaken belief about a minor’s age is generally not a legal defense to charges involving sexual conduct with a child.
The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not announced whether Lawrence has been suspended or terminated from his position with the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
