3 men arrested on charges of traveling to meet, indecent solicitation of a child

Three men are in the Henderson County Jail after being accused of charges related to grooming and indecent solicitation of a child, according to a news release from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office.

The release said the investigation began in July when the accused engaged in conversations on social media platforms with someone they believed to be a girl. Three men were arrested and charged in connection with the conversations:

Steven L. Howard, 55, of Keithsburg has been charged with traveling to meet a child, indecent solicitation of a child, grooming and solicitation to meet a child.

Marc Moehn, 28, of Burlington has been charged with indecent solicitation of a child and grooming.

Brock W. Smith, 49, of Monmouth has been charged with indecent solicitation of a child, solicitation to meet a child, grooming and sexual exploitation of a child.

Traveling to meet a child is a Class 3 felony that carries up to two to five years in prison. Indecent solicitation of a child, grooming and sexual exploitation of a child are Class 4 felonies that carry up to three years in prison for each charge.

The men are currently being held in the Henderson County Jail. Howard and Smith have pretrial conferences set for October 23. Moehn has not made an initial court appearance, according to court records.

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