VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A man is facing child sex charges after an investigation into a burglary at his home led deputies to discover that he was repeatedly meeting a teen for sex using the gay dating app Grindr, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said Randall C. Allen, 63, went to meet with a teen from Grindr at Walmart on Jan. 14 and while he was there, he saw someone on his surveillance system burglarizing his home.
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The investigation led deputies to discover that the teen had been to Allen’s home on Giovanni Street multiple times dating back to when he was 14 years old, according to authorities.
Allen, a retired corrections officer from Illinois, told the boy to lie and say he told Allen he was 18 if they were to ever get caught, records show.
Deputies said they arrested Allen Thursday after they posed as the teen during an undercover chat and asked Allen to meet at a Burger King.
The 15-year-old victim is also facing charges in the case. He’s accused of stealing a gun from Allen’s home during an anonymous sex party and committing various other thefts.
A juvenile accomplice and a 19-year-old suspect are also facing related charges.
Allen is facing six counts of lewd or lascivious battery. He’s being held at the Volusia County Jail.