A 20-year-old Leslie County man is behind bars after police say he tracked a teenage girl he met on Snapchat to the Daniel Boone Festival in Barbourville, where he allegedly groped her in public and offered her alcohol.
The man, Jathan Jett Shell, 20, of Hoskinston, Ky., connected with a female minor on Snapchat on Wednesday. According to the female, he allegedly tracked her location to downtown Barbourville and found her at the Daniel Boone Festival on Thursday, October 9.
Barbourville Police responded to a complaint of a possible fight in progress in the parking lot by Knox County Dispatch off Court Square. Officers, who were already on Court Square for the festival, made their way to the location of the possible fight, a female stopped Officer Henson. She stated Jathan Shell had allegedly touched her in her private area over her pants and attempted to kiss her after she advised him to stop multiple times.
The victim provided officers with a picture of Shell holding a blue Stanley cup. Officers located Shell standing on West Knox Street, drinking out of a blue cup, wearing the same clothes he was pictured in. Officers observed the smell of alcohol coming from Shell, and he admitted he had been drinking and was currently drinking vodka and Red Bull in his cup and had drunk a few beers earlier.
Officers read Shell his Miranda warning before asking him any questions, and Shell agreed to speak with them.
Shell stated he had been talking to a girl he added on Snapchat the day prior and admitted to only rubbing her inner thigh while riding the Ferris wheel. In addition to blurred speech and red, glossy eyes, officers observed he was unsteady on his feet and was mixing his words.
After being placed under arrest, officers located an Indiana driver’s license in Shell’s wallet, to which he stated, “That’s my fake ID,” before continuing to state he was only 20 years old. After Shell was placed in the cruiser, he admitted to offering the underage victim alcohol.
Once officers contacted the victim again, her story corroborated Shell’s, in that he had connected with her the day prior on Snapchat. She stated she had her live location enabled on Snapchat, leading her to believe that Shell had found her. She also said she didn’t know his full name.
The victim stated she saw Shell sitting with her friends and family and was unsure how he made their connection with her. They began hanging out, and Shell wanted to ride the Ferris wheel with the victim, her twin sister, and a friend. The victim again stated Shell began rubbing on her inner thigh, and she began pushing him away, telling him to stop. Shell allegedly began touching the victim in her private area over her pants and ignoring her pleas to stop, and continued to touch her face, attempting to kiss her. The victim stated she did not want to do that and was pulling away. The victim’s friend got upset and began yelling at Shell for touching her friend after they got off the ride.
Shell was arrested and charged with alcohol intoxication in a public place (first and second offense); sexual abuse, third degree; criminal possession of a forged instrument, second degree – identity; and unlawful transaction with a minor, third degree.
Shell was lodged in the Knox County Detention Center and is being held on a $2,500 cash bond.
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