Bradenton man charged with sexually assaulting a minor

Text messages between a 35-year-old Bradenton man and a child under the age of 16 landed the man behind bars on Monday, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say Frank Avalos engaged the minor in a sexual relationship, which was discovered by a family member when they read messages on the victim’s phone.

According to the arrest report, the text messages were sexually suggestive and included a photo of his genitals, which added an additional felony for transmission of harmful images to a minor.

Detectives said Avalos was uncooperative with the investigation.

He was booked into the Manatee County jail on Monday and charged with the two felonies. He remains in custody on bonds totaling $251,500 pending a future court date.