WESTLAND, Mich. – A Westland man who was convicted on child pornography charges in 2023 is facing new charges after allegedly threatening a 14-year-old girl who wouldn’t send him explicit content.
According to authorities, a woman in Indiana called 911 after someone threatened her 14-year-old daughter, who told police she had been talking with the man on Snapchat for several weeks before he asked her for naked photos. The victim told police that she had told him she was 14 years old.
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When she refused, the man reportedly threatened to kill her, sexually assault her and harm her family. He allegedly sent a photo of a handgun and told her she knew where she lived.
The girl provided police with screenshots of some of the messages he sent her. Police said she repeatedly told the man she was 14, but that did not stop the threats from coming.
“Stay hurt i’ll have my people track yo ip address and pay more [racial slur] to rape u [100% emoji]”
“U deserved it [explitive] look how u dress I hope more grown man rape a little 14 year old [explitive] like u”
“So youd really rather watch your family get harmed cuz and possibly killed and u get raped instead of taken a few pictures of your body like u always do anyways… ??... Okay I’ll just be there soon.”
Some of the racial threats included in the court document
According to an affidavit, authorities obtained a search warrant for Snapchat for information regarding the man’s account. Snapchat reportedly provided the email address associated with the account, the prior name on the account, the birthday the account holder provided, IP addresses used, what kind of phone was used and images from the “Memories” files of the used.
Using information taken from the images, police reportedly tracked the user to Michigan. The victim identified a man who repeatedly showed up in the images as the man who was threatening her.
Using the IP addresses and email, police determined the suspect lived at a Westland home.
The suspect was identified as Dale Jarrett Graham, a registered sex offender who was convicted in May 2023 on child sexually abusive activity charges. Authorities said his sex offender registry address matched the Westland address they connected to the suspect.
A search warrant was executed Sept. 5 at the Westland address, where law enforcement seized electronic devices and items that matched those in the threatening messages. The bedroom in the home reportedly matched the location seen in some of the threatening photos.
Graham told police he used to have Snapchat, but hadn’t used it in months. When shown the threatening messages, he reportedly confirmed that he took the photographs that contained the threats.
According to an affidavit, Graham, admitted to getting angry when the young girl wouldn’t send him naked photos and sent threatening messages to her.
Graham is facing charges of attempted receipt of child pornography, transmission of interstate threats and coercion and enticement of a minor.
