Gainesville man arrested for solicitation of a minor

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Norick Kuolun Liu, 57, was arrested yesterday and charged with solicitation of a minor, traveling to meet a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device.

A Gainesville Police Department officer who was undercover as a member of the North Florida ICAC Task Force reportedly posed as a 13-year-old boy on a social network app and connected with Liu on September 13. The officer, still posing as a 13-year-old boy, gave Liu a cell phone number to continue the conversation by text message.

While texting with the officer, Liu reportedly claimed to be 26 years old and engaged in sexually explicit conversation, including sending sexually explicit photos to the presumed 13-year-old. Liu reportedly suggested meeting at the boy’s residence and instructed the boy how to prepare for their sexual encounter; he arranged to meet the 13-year-old yesterday and said he would bring coconut oil for lubrication and a condom for protection.

Liu allegedly drove to meet the presumed 13-year-old for the purpose of having a sexual encounter and was contacted by officers and arrested at 2305 NW 13th Street.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced a condom in Liu’s pocket and coconut oil in the car.

Post Miranda, Liu reportedly acknowledged sending the texts received by the officer but claimed that despite discussing a sexual encounter, he wasn’t necessarily going to have sex with the boy. He reportedly admitted that he brought a condom and coconut oil for the encounter.

Liu has no local criminal history; bail information is not public due to the nature of the charges.

The Gainesville Police Department wants parents to be aware that children are being solicited and exploited through social networking and messaging apps. Apps like Facebook, Kik, Snapchat, TikTok, and Tagged are also used to share images and videos that depict young children being sexually abused. Please be vigilant and aware of any social networking platforms your children may access.

If you have any questions about this incident, please contact GPD Detective Sergeant Chris King at 352-393-7660 or kingcm@cityofgainesville.org. Parents can also find resources at the NCMEC website: https://www.missingkids.org/HOME

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.