A 26-year-old Warren man faces 22 felony charges after allegedly having sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl.

Travis Lester was jailed on $75,000 bail after a preliminary arraignment in front of Magisterial District Judge Raymond Zydonik on Thursday. Lester is charged with four counts of first-degree rape of a child, four counts of first-degree statutory sexual assault – 11 years or older, three counts of first-degree involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, three counts of second-degree felony aggravated indecent assault – less than 13 years old, four counts of third-degree felony corruption of minors – defendant age 18 or above and four counts of third-degree felony indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled in Zydonik’s courtroom on Sept. 24.

According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, Warren city police officers received a report on May 30 from the mother of a 12-year-old child that the girl was allegedly exchanging sexually-related photographs and conversations through Snapchat with Lester. The girl was interviewed the following day at the Warren County Children’s Advocacy Center, during which the girl allegedly admitted to being in a relationship with Lester and to having contact with Lester via Snapchat.

On June 1, the girl’s stepfather said during an interview with police that Lester allegedly admitted to him that Lester had sexual intercourse with the girl. During a follow-up interview on Wednesday, the girl allegedly told police about several sexual acts between herself and Lester – each of which resulted in the felony first-degree rape charges. A neighbor told police that she had also allegedly witnessed inappropriate contact between the 12-year-old and Lester.

Earlier this month, the Warren County District Attorney’s office launched a new unit targeting those who use the internet to exploit children – such as using Snapchat to exchange sexually-related photos or carry out inappropriate sexual conversations. The investigative unit of local law enforcement officers will work to identify and capture those who prey on children through digital means – though Cody Brown, first assistant district attorney, emphasized the importance of parental supervision.

“Parents and guardians are encouraged to remain watchful about their children’s online activity. Simple steps such as monitoring social media use, setting privacy controls, and talking openly about the dangers of online predators can make a significant difference. Anyone who suspects a child is being targeted online should immediately report the activity to local law enforcement,” Brown said earlier this month.