She thought her Snapchat friend was around her age. Sarasota deputies say he’s much older

A 38-year-old Venice man’s use of a social media app used for sending pictures has landed him in jail, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators received a tip at the end of May about an 11-year-old girl who may have been using Snapchat to communicate with and send explicit pictures to an adult. The victim’s parents had learned that the 12-year-old boy she was chatting with might be much older.

According to an arrest report, the girl’s parents “became alarmed” when they found out that she had walked to a nearby store to meet the “boy.” They looked through her conversations and discovered she had sent “inappropriate photos” back and forth to the person, who used an erotic username.

On Friday, deputies executed a search warrant in the 1100 block of Panda Road, where they arrested Kelbi Burson. Deputies say they met with the suspect and scanned his electronic devices, revealing sexual photos of nude children.

Burson, of Venice, was arrested and charged with transmitting harmful materials to a minor, five counts of possession of images related to sexual performance by a child and using a computer to solicit a child. He is being held without bond in the Sarasota County Jail.

The investigation is ongoing.