Sarasota man used Snapchat to meet 15-year-old for sex, police say
Sarasota police say they arrested a 23-year-old man last week after he met up with a 15-year-old girl he met on Snapchat and had sex with her.
On May 20, police arrested Carson Smith, from Sarasota, and charged him with lewd and lascivious battery of a victim under the age of 16.
The victim told investigators that she began interacting with Smith in March after they met on Snapchat. She said that she told Smith her age, and he told her that he was 18 years old, according to police.
The victim reported that Smith picked her up from a Sunoco gas station in Venice on four separate occasions.
The girl said that Smith would take her to his downtown Sarasota apartment and offer her alcohol, which she declined, according to police.
She also reported that Smith told her multiple times, “I don’t want to get in trouble with any parents or the law,” according to an arrest report.
Smith allegedly picked up the girl for the last time in April, when he “brought her back to his apartment where he had sexual intercourse with her,” police said.
Carson was released on bond from the Sarasota County Jail on Friday according to the police department.
Sarasota police continue to investigate this case, and say they believe there may be more victims.
Anyone with information to can contact the police department at 941-263-6075 or submit an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers of Sarasota County at 941-366-8477.
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM.
