Found cell phone leeds to three arrests in Abbeville

 Abbeville, Al.

Duran Chavez Slato

A cell phone found in an Abbeville park has led to the arrest of three men. Arrested  were  Duran Chavez Slaton, 25, of Abbeville, on a felony electronic solicitation charge and two felony counts of possession of child pornography,  George Lewis Gamble, 51, and Antonio L. Wesley, 27, both of Eufaula, charged each with felony electronic solicitation of a child. Gamble was also charged with traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act, which is a class A felony crime, with a possible sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

According to court records, this is what authorities say happened: Slaton sent explicit naked pictures of himself and attempted to entice the girl for sex using a cell phone. The teenager told police she sent pictures of herself to Slaton’s cell phone. The teenager also said she had at least three conversations with Slaton, during which he’d tried to talk her into getting a ride to Abbeville so they could “hook up.”

George Lewis Gamble

Antonio L. Wesley

Henry County Sheriff William Maddox said investigators with the Henry County Sheriff’s and Abbeville Police Task Force started the investigation late last month after an Abbeville park attendant found Slaton’s cell phone in a park with pornographic images on it of a teenage girl.  Task Force Investigator Steve Sanders said they arrested Duran Chavez Slaton of Abbeville first  and after further investigating  two more people were arrested. “These individuals were friends with a 15-year-old juvenile on Facebook,” Sanders said. “Mr. Gamble actually traveled to Abbeville on December third for what he believed to be the purpose of sex.” When he arrived he met the Henry County Sheriff’s officers and Abbeville Police Task Force. Sanders said none of the suspects knew each other, but all had “friended” the teenage girl on Facebook.

Slaton is being held at the Henry County Jail on $90,000 bail.Gamble was released after he posted $80,000 bail, and Wesley remains held without bail on a probation violation out of Georgia.

Henry County Sheriff William Maddox encouraged area parents to know their child’s friends on Facebook, and and know who they talk to while using the website. “These young people don’t realize the dangers of meeting complete strangers on the computer. Anything can happen,” Maddox said. “This is probably the first time we’ve ever got into a case involving computers and electronic solicitation during my time as sheriff. Normally we turn this kind of case over to the ABI, but this one just kind of fell into place. I just love it when a plan comes together.”