PRINCETON — The town’s animal control officer arrested Monday on charges he raped a 13-year-old boy in Bucks County, Pa. was identified through his Snapchat account, and his vehicle, court records show.
Police also say that Saul Nathan “Nate” Barson told the boy he met at a park in Solebury, Pa. earlier this month that his name was “Jake,” the records show.
Saul “Nate” Barson
Barson, 29, was arrested Monday on multiple sex assault charges related to the Feb. 3 encounter, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.
The West Amwel resident is suspended without pay from his $53,000 per-year job as animal control officer in Princeton.
In a probable cause affidavit filed by a Solebury detective, the 13-year-old describes in detail meeting the man who called himself “Jake” and who police say was Barson.
The boy climbed into the passenger side of the silver pickup truck and the man hugged and kissed him. Both pulled their pants down, and the man performed multiple sex acts on the boy, the affidavit says.
The affidavit does not say how, but the boy’s mother was able to write down the pickup truck’s license plate.
Solebury police checked the registration and found it was registered to Barson’s company, Animal Control & Investigative Services, in West Amwell.
Barson’s company has contracted with several Hunterdon County towns to provide animal control services in the past several years.
West Amwell police assisted a Solebury detective in identifying Barson, as did the boy, who identified the man’s Snapchat account to police. Police then found the Snapchat account used an email registered to Barson, the affidavit says.
In a statement, Solebury police urged families to learn more about the sexual exploitation of children through the Internet, saying the Barson case is the second similar crime they’ve investigated in their town.
Man exchanged sexual photos with 10-year-old girl, officials say
Police said such cases involve the use of any device connected to the Internet, and by people using the “dark side” of the web.
“Parents may not be fully aware that this occurs. The Internet can bring the potential of having criminal predators ‘to your home,'” it said. “Again, we urge all parents to monitor the use of computers, smartphones, tablets, etc. that are connected to the internet.”
Solebury police last week arrested Nicholas D. Fischer, 21, of Warrington, Pa. on charges he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old boy in the same park in late January.
In the second case, Fischer met up with the victim using the social media site Grindr, an affidavit in the case says.
Princeton hired Barson to a fulltime post in July 2015 at an annual salary of $53,000 after separating from their longtime animal control officer Mark Johnson.
Princeton knew about Barson’s existing animal control business, but said he would also be the town’s full-time animal control officer and be available around the clock as well.
Following his arrest Monday, Barson was arraigned in a district court in Bucks County, Pa. and sent to the Bucks County Jail in Doylestown in lieu of $300,000 bail, where he remained Tuesday.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
