Palmetto man charged with sending minors nude photos of himself on Snapchat

A Palmetto man faces more than a dozen charges after detectives say he tried to lure children to have sex with him by sending them nude photos of himself through social media applications such as Snapchat, according to the Bradenton Police Department.

Phillip Michael Dorics, 29, was arrested Friday and charged with 16 counts of transmitting harmful material to minors, sexual performance of a child and using a computer or device to lure a child. Dorics was held at Manatee County jail without bond.

Police say Dorics may have had other victims and are looking to make contact with them.

Dorics came under investigation Aug. 31 when Bradenton police received information he was trying to solicit minors for sex, according to a news release. The informant told police Dorics would go onto Snapchat and other social media applications under the username “Phildo282.”

Police say Dorics solicited a child he believed to be under the age of 14 for sexual activities. He also sent nude photos of himself to children he believed to be under the age 14, according to police.

This investigation is ongoing and more charges are pending, police said.

Anyone with information about the case can call Bradenton police detective Kevin Bunch at 941-932- 9380 or remain anonymous and eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 by calling Crime Stoppers at 866- 634-8477 (TIPS) or send a tip to manateecrimestoppers.com.

This story was originally published June 10, 2016 at 2:53 PM with the headline "Palmetto man charged with sending minors nude photos of himself on Snapchat."