Faking Instagram fame, Florida man rapes minor

Pretending to be "Instagram famous", a 25-year-old Florida man allegedly lured a Texas-based minor girl only to repeatedly sexually assault and rape her for days.

Richard Brown, who already faces six felony counts of child sexual abuse, got in touch with the 17-year-old girl on Instagram and claimed to be a 19-year-old, rich and "Instagram famous", the media reported.

He had reportedly booked an Uber costing over $800 to get the girl from her home in Texas to his parent's home in Orlando and kept her trapped for three days.

The girl however managed to escape and reported to the local authorities while keeping her mother informed via Snapchat.

"The girl told authorities that she quickly realised Brown wasn't who he claimed to be, but that he pressured her into staying with him for three nights as he had paid for her journey," the report said.

In his defense, Brown claimed he "thought" the girl was an adult. He said he was "only friends" with her and believed she was "in need of a place to stay".

--IANS

rp/mag/bc