ATLANTA — The stepfather of a 12-year-old boy told Channel 2 Action News he noticed suspicious pictures popping up on his stepson's phone. That's when he set up a meeting pretending to be the boy, police say.
According to police, Brian Grabia, 35, agreed to meet the 12-year-old at an Atlanta Petro gas station in a shower stall. He is now charged with child molestation.
The stepfather told Channel 2's Nefertiti Jaquez it started Friday when his 12-year-old stepson got a few texts via the instant messaging app KIK.
Sources working this case say when the boy's stepfather opened the messages, he saw sexually inappropriate photos sent by Grabia.
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The stepfather says he responded pretending to be the boy.
"So I started texting the guy and told him 'I'm 12. Do you have a problem with that?' He says, 'Well I thought you were 18, but that's no problem.'" the stepfather said.
The stepfather says he arranged a meeting with the suspect at an Atlanta Petro, and then called police to make them aware of the sting.
The stepfather told Jaquez when Grabia got to shower stall 12 at the Petro gas station, it wasn't the boy waiting for him.
"He reached in to start taking his clothes off, reaching towards his stomach. At that point I jumped out of the shower and it all went down from there," the stepfather said.
Police officers arrested Grabia.
"I was just really angry. I wanted to get this guy. It could be someone else's kids," the stepfather said.
Investigators say they recovered two cellphones and drugs in the suspect's car.
Cox Media Group
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