Suspect arrested in Tbilisi over alleged sexual offences involving a minor

Police in Georgia have arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of committing indecent acts against a minor, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Thursday.

Officers from the Main Division for Juvenile Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia said the suspect, identified by the initials B.B. and born in 1995, was detained in Tbilisi.

The accused allegedly sent repeated sexually explicit text messages to a neighbouring child born in 2015. The ministry said he was also suspected of persuading the minor to send him a photograph of a similar nature and of proposing sexual relations.

Following operational measures and investigative actions, law enforcement officers arrested the suspect as a defendant in the case. His mobile phone was seized as evidence. Authorities said the device was used to send the alleged messages.

The offence carries a sentence of up to nine years’ imprisonment if the accused is convicted.