Sex offender faces new charges for sending explicit messages to teen

RENSSELAER, Ind. (WISH) — A 45-year-old sex offender from Lafayette faces new criminal charges after an investigation into inappropriate social media messages sent to a 17-year-old girl in Jasper County, the sheriff’s office said Monday.

A social media post from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said the charges against Travis E. Hurd stem from messages sent on or around Dec. 20, which included requests for explicit images from the girl. The charges include low-level felony counts of child exploitation, dissemination of matter harmful to minors, and obstruction of justice.

Hurd is a registered sex offender with prior unrelated convictions for sex crimes involving minors, the post said. He admitted to detectives that he sent the messages to the girl during an interview with investigators on Monday.

The post on Facebook said, “The messages included request for explicit images, sent her images of lingerie and adult toys. Hurd went on further in an attempt to get the victim to photograph herself wearing adult clothing and sell them on the internet.”

Hurd also told the girl to delete their conversations and not disclose them to anyone.

The girl confirmed that the messages and images she received were unwanted.

Hurd’s initial hearing on the latest charges was on Monday morning in Jasper Superior Court. Hurd remained an inmate in the Tippecanoe County jail on Monday ni...