Electronic path studied in alleged Net abuse

The case against a Murfreesboro man accused of several sexually-related charges involving a minor via the Internet has been continued so that his defense attorney can have access to electronic records.

Brian Allen Bell, 27, is charged with four counts of solicitation of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means and distributing obscene material to a minor. He has had a continuance granted until Jan. 20, according to his attorney, John Norton.

Norton told the T-G that he has requested phone and computer records as part of the discovery process and that a preliminary hearing should be set for the last week in February.

Bell is accused of using the popular social networking Internet site MySpace to try to make contact with a Bedford County teen.

According to Sgt. Nikia Elliott of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department, a concerned parent contacted authorities in August over messages his 15-year-old daughter was allegedly receiving from Bell via the Web site.

Elliott said that the girl "tried to get rid of the 27-year-old, but he wouldn't leave her alone and wanted her phone number."

So, with the permission of the father, Bell was given the numbers he asked for "and over the next four days, he was sending some pretty vulgar invitations to her and also some pictures of himself," Elliott explained.

Warrants filed by Elliott stated that the Murfreesboro man allegedly used a cell phone to send images of himself of a sexual nature.

Bell also "did intentionally invite or attempt to induce through the use of a cell phone who he believed to be a fifteen year old girl to engage in conduct that if completed would have constituted statutory rape," the warrant reads.

"The defendant sent several text messages to the juvenile of a sexual nature describing sexual acts that he wished her to fulfill," Elliott wrote in the warrants.

But Elliott then said investigators turned the tables and "used MySpace, Facebook and everything else to figure out who he was and where he was at and finally tracked him down."

Bell is free on $25,000 bond.