A Herndon man has been arrested for allegedly sexually soliciting a child online and then trying to meet them in Tysons, police say.
Detectives from the McLean District Station got a tip around 6:52 p.m. on June 7 that Gerry Frank Burde, 41, had contacted an underage individual “via an internet platform,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release published today (Thursday).
He later went to “a location in Tysons Corner where he intended to meet and potentially engage in sexual acts with the victim.”
The FCPD says detectives arrested Burde “after a thorough investigation” that included the collection of “evidence corroborating the incident.”
Burde has been charged with using a communications system to solicit a minor, attempted forcible intercouse with a victim under 13 and indecent liberties with a child under 15. He is currently in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
It’s unclear whether Burde met the victim in Tysons and when and where he was arrested. The FCPD declined to address questions sent by FFXnow, stating that the news release has “all the info we are sharing at this point.”
Police believe Burde may have targeted other potential victims either in person or through social media platforms like Snapchat, where his alleged username is drunkslovepunch, and Whisper, where he reportedly goes by Tempo_Ex.
“Detectives are urging anyone who has interacted with Burde to contact them at 703-246-7800, option 6, and share any information they may have,” the FCPD said.
The department advises parents to stay aware of what their children are doing online and report any inappropriate interactions:
Parents are urged to closely monitor their children’s online activities and use available security settings to prevent the use of inappropriate sites or platforms. Children should be encouraged to report any person engaging in inappropriate conversations or trying to coerce them into providing sexually explicit images of themselves. Additional internet safety information provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children can be found HERE. There are many applications predators use to solicit victims. Parents are encouraged to know what applications their children are using and have an open dialog about the dangers they may pose.
