Austintown, Warren cops nab man accused of sending nude images

WARREN

Austintown police carried out an arrest warrant Wednesday on a city man accused of sending nude images and carrying out sexually explicit conversations with a 15-year-old boy.

Gabriel Talanca, 22, was arrested at his East Avenue home by Austintown police, with assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, and Warren police, on five counts of importuning, two counts of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles and one count of possession of criminal tools.

He is accused of having sexually explicit conversations with a 15-year-old boy on a gay dating application from Dec. 20 to Jan. 16, according to the report.

Austintown police, who were running the dating profile, made it clear who Talanca was speaking to, the report said.

Talanca said in a message: “I already told you not that many guys want to do anything with me once they see my face.” Talanca sent a number of images of himself nude or in underwear, continually asking the boy to send a picture of his genitals, according to the report.

After keeping contact for days, police realized that “it is apparent Gabe is babysitting an infant while engaging in these graphic conversations with the juvenile boy,” according to the report.

Police checked a phone number, call records, address, Facebook profile and photos they received to determine Talanca’s identity, according to the report. Common pleas court issued Talanca a warrant on the charges.

He will appear in court at 1 p.m. Monday.