ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – In a troubling development, a 20-year-old man from Orange County has been arrested after allegedly arranging to meet with someone he believed to be a 12-year-old boy. The man, Jase Cogdell, is also facing similar accusations in Arizona, as revealed by court documents.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the incident unfolded when an undercover detective assumed the identity of a 12-year-old boy on Snapchat this past Friday. Investigators report that Cogdell initiated contact with the detective, exchanging photos. The detective used an altered image to appear younger, a tactic referred to as “age-regressed” imagery.

Authorities allege that Cogdell sent explicit messages to the detective and eventually agreed to meet in person. He reportedly drove from Clearwater to a shopping center located on South Kirkman Road on Sunday morning, where law enforcement officers apprehended him.

In his initial court appearance, the judge imposed strict conditions on Cogdell, prohibiting him from using computers, accessing the internet or social media, and having any contact with minors.

Further complicating Cogdell’s legal troubles, court records from Maricopa County, Arizona, reveal that he was previously arrested on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in 2023. In that case, he entered a plea of not guilty and is currently awaiting trial, slated for February. Last month, Cogdell sought permission to travel between Arizona and Florida.

Marc Berkman, CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety, said cases like this highlight ongoing dangers on social media platforms, particularly Snapchat.

“Parents really need to be aware that those harms are happening across the Snapchat platform,” Berkman said. He questioned how someone awaiting trial on sexual exploitation charges could still communicate with minors online, calling it a “very serious concern.”

Berkman said AI and deepfake technology are making it even easier for predators to deceive and lure minors. “The ability to take someone’s image and create a very realistic video, now with audio as well, is a very serious safety concern,” he said.

Cogdell remains in the Orange County Jail on $25,000 bond. His attorney in the Arizona case did not respond to a request for comment.