A Texas man is behind bars in Boone County, accused of exchanging sexually explicit messages with a child in Columbia.
Police say 33-year-old Michael R. Moya of Austin met the victim through an Xbox chat and allegedly claimed to be 15 years old, while believing the child was 13.
Investigators say the two exchanged explicit content between February and March.
The victim’s mother alerted Columbia police after finding the messages.
Columbia police said they contacted the Travis County Sheriff’s Department in Texas to compare booking photos of Moya to the ones found on child’s phone.
Police filed an arrest warrant after photos confirmed that Moya was the man messaging the victim, according to the probable cause statement.
Online records show the warrant for Moya’s arrest was issued on Aug. 26 and that he was booked into the Boone County Jail on Tuesday.
Moya faces several felony charges and is being held without bond.