Fayetteville man gets 15 years in prison for sex with 13-year-old

Frankie Lee Jones, 34, pleaded guilty in July to one count of coercing and enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity.

Beginning in late 2016, Jones began communicating with the teen through Kik, a mobile messaging and social media application. The relationship later grew from texting to speaking on the phone, authorities said, noting investigators recovered nearly 7,000 text messages between the teen and Jones.

The texts, some of which were sexually explicit, revealed a plan to move in together, get married and continue their relationship, authorities said. Jones indicated that he knew the girl was 13 but said he loved her and wanted to marry her. He also frequently asked for sexually explicit photos and videos of her.

In March 2017, Jones picked the teen up in the Raleigh area and took her to a hotel in Fayetteville. During the weekend, they had sex, and he took sexually explicit photographs of her, authorities said.

After the teen disclosed the relationship and sexual activity to family members, investigators spoke to Jones, who admitted to having sex with the girl but denied knowing she was 13, despite text messages to the contrary, authorities said.