In the spring of 2025, law enforcement received a call about a missing 15-year-old girl. The caller, who had taken the girl’s phone, told officers about her boyfriend who was a man going by the name Devan “Harmon.” At just eighteen years old, Devan was homeless and had reportedly moved to Ohio to be closer to the girl. Further reports confirmed that he was living in a local homeless camp and was an active drug user.
Shortly after the call, patrol officers located Devan and the juvenile at a nearby church. They took Devan into custody, and during the investigation, they learned that his real name was Devan Vincent and that he was actually 23 years old, not eighteen as he had claimed.
Investigators recovered evidence revealing that Devan sent nude photos and a video of himself to the minor. Evidence from Vincent’s devices was processed with the help of digital forensics software donated by Our Rescue to the investigative team.
Devan met the minor on social media while living in Pennsylvania. At first, he told her he was eighteen. During interviews with police, he denied moving to Zanesville to be with her, claiming he relocated to get as far away as possible from his previous location.
After they met up in person, Devan changed his story and told the minor he was nineteen. When detectives asked why he lied about his age, he said, “I wanted to see if she would actually believe it or not. You know, see if she would go along with it. Play… just mess with her and everything.”
Devan also told authorities he had researched Ohio law and knew he could not have sexual contact with the minor until she turned sixteen. However, later he admitted to sexually engaging with her when she was fifteen.
Devan Vincent pleaded guilty to three felony charges and was sentenced to serve 10 to 14 years in prison. The charges included Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a Minor, Disseminating Harmful Material to Juveniles, and Pandering Obscenity Involving a Minor. Vincent must also register as a Tier 2 sex offender for 25 years and was given a mandatory five years of post-release control.
ICAC units are the front lines of the work to stop online child exploitation. Our Rescue supports ICAC units across the country with technology and forensic tools for digital investigations through our ICAC Connect program. Learn more here. https://ourrescue.org/icac-connect