UPDATED: Alleged chat addict charged with obscene texting

A Watertown man who had been removed from the sexual offender registry faces charges that he sent obscene text and photo messages to an 11-year-old girl.

Michael Paul Rutland, 34, of Smith Hollow Road, Watertown, has been charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means. He is being held on $20,000 bond and will appear next before General Sessions Judge Charles Rich on Feb. 24.

According to Capt. Becky Hord of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department, Sgt. Nikia Elliott informed her that the parents of an 11-year-old girl were concerned about text messages she was receiving on her cell phone that made requests of a sexual nature.

At first, the girl thought it was one of her friends, but when the nature of the texts immediately became sexual, she responded by saying that she was only 11 and to leave her alone, but the text messages persisted, with Rutland allegedly "making some pretty raunchy requests," Hord said.

Rutland also allegedly sent a picture of himself to the girl, identifying himself as Michael, and the girl repeatedly told Rutland to leave her alone and warned she would notify law enforcement, but the texting continued.

Hord said that Rutland then sent the girl a lewd image of himself, "requesting certain favors from her."

Efforts to find who was texting the young girl were stalled since Rutland allegedly used a pre-paid phone, which prevented police tracking him by their usual means, so Hord said, "Let's see just how stupid this person is."

"He definitely was stupid," Detective Hord said, explaining that she dialed the number and got a recording from a person named Michael, asking the caller to leave a message.

Hord left a message identifying herself, saying that she needed to talk to him about a matter in Bedford County. When she got no reply, she continued to leave messages for Rutland over the next four days.

She then finally gave Rutland a deadline to either return her calls, or she would have Watertown law enforcement pick him up and transport him to Shelbyville. About 30 minutes before the deadline, Hord said she began to get calls and messages from the number.

Hord asked if he could come to Bedford County, but Rutland allegedly said he had no way to get there but they agreed to meet at the Watertown police station.

Rutland allegedly told Watertown law enforcement that Hord's phone messages "were from friends that were trying to trick him," Hord said.

Hord said that Rutland allegedly told her he had a problem with addiction to online chat rooms and said he had been arrested for statutory rape in 1999 for having sex with a 14-year-old when he was 22.

However, due to a change in Tennessee law in 2006, Rutland had been removed from the sexual offender registry, Hord explained to the T-G. Rutland also has convictions for indecent exposure and several criminal charges in other Tennessee counties.

Hord praised the 11-year-old, who wanted to help catch Rutland, saying she "was a real trooper, I was really impressed with her."

The detective also said that the girl's parents have been doing the right thing by monitoring their daughter's online activity.

"These parents did everything right," Hord said. "It was just one of those situations where the child immediately let her parents know" about the obscene messages.

Rutland is to be represented by the public defender's office.