From Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM — Birmingham police said formal charges have been filed in an investigation that was prompted from a viral social media video.
Montez Fann, 37, of Hoover, has been charged with the electronic solicitation of a child. He is being held in the Jefferson County Jail without bond, Sgt. Rodarius Mauldin said.
Birmingham police began an investigation on Sunday, February 7, after being made aware of a viral video on Facebook.
“The Facebook video depicted a face time call involving a minor and an adult male,” Mauldin said. “The video showed the adult male soliciting the minor to expose her body to him on the face time video.”
It was initially unknown where the offence occurred. On Monday, February 8, 2021 it was discovered incidents occurred within the city limits of Birmingham and Bessemer, Alabama.
“At the time the video surfaced an official police report had not been filed with the Birmingham Police Department,” Mauldin said. “A police report was filed on Monday, February 8, 2021 after detectives encouraged a family member to file an official police report. A joint investigation was launched with the Birmingham Police Department Special Victims Unit and investigators with the Bessemer Police Department.”
On February 9, 2021 the suspect depicted in the video was arrested for a probation violation by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.