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Solicitor: Trip probe completed; no word on discipline for county election chief

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Their view: Smollett case a reminder that one false accuser can hurt all future victims

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; An Ashley man was charged Wednesday with having sexual relations with a 12-year-old girl he met on social media.</p><p>Luzerne County detectives allege Tamango Michael Brown, 24, of Ashley Street, had sexual contact with the girl at least three times at a playground on Hickory Street from November to December.</p><p>Brown apologized and asked detectives to apologize to the girl&#8217;s family, court records say.</p><p>City police listed Brown&#8217;s address as homeless when he was arrested in an unrelated incident earlier this month.</p><p>According to a criminal complaint filed by detectives Charles Balogh and Daniel Yursha:</p><p>The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received tips that a man, identified as Brown, was communicating with a 12-year-old on Facebook. During chat sessions, Brown asked the girl to send him nude pictures.</p><p>Brown and the girl conversed about having sex and talked about their age difference, with Brown telling the girl he didn&#8217;t care.</p><p>The girl sent Brown a five-second video of her taking a shower, and Brown sent the girl a picture of his genitals.</p><p>The girl was identified when detectives obtained a search warrant that was served to Facebook.</p><p>Later, the child was questioned by a forensic interviewer at the Luzerne County Children&#8217;s Advocacy Center. She said she met Brown three or four times at the playground where they kissed and Brown molested her.</p><p>She claimed Brown kept asking to have sex but she kept telling him &#8220;no,&#8221; resulting in Brown giving her an attitude and Brown eventually blocking her on Facebook.</p><p>When Brown was questioned, he admitted to having sexual relations with the girl, plus exchanging inappropriate pictures and video.</p><p>Brown was arraigned by District Judge Matthew Christopher in Central Court on two counts of indecent assault, and one count each of aggravated indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors. He remained jailed for lack of $100,000 bail.</p><p>In an unrelated case, Brown appeared Tuesday in Central Court for allegedly having a marijuana blunt when he refused to leave Hazle Mart at Blackman and Hazle streets Feb. 10. Brown pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia, records say.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Tamango-Brown-02202019-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Brown </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Tamango-Brown-02202019-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Brown </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Ashley man accused of having sexual relations with 12-year-old