Ottawa long-haul truck driver Matthew Marchand, known to many as Twitter user “My World Through A Windshield” has been jailed in Florida after allegedly sending sexual messages to a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. In court documents obtained by CTV News, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office claims Marchand was arrested in a sting operation targeting “suspects who use the Internet to sexually exploit children.” Partially released transcripts of a conversation between an undercover detective and Marchand on an anonymous e-commerce website describe a frank and intimate conversation. The dispatcher allegedly asked the girl how old she was, to which the detective replied “13.” Police say the sender replied “how big are your bums? Do you want to see a boy’s penis?’ After a detective wrote “if you want,” the defendant allegedly sent a photo of male genitalia. The photo was one of several inappropriate photos and a video that police say were sent to them during the conversation. CTV News reached out to the sheriff’s office for comment, but did not hear back before deadline. According to court documents, Marchand has been placed on administrative leave by his employers, Premier Bulk Systems, based in Gormley, Ont. The company declined to comment on Marchand’s arrest or the circumstances surrounding his leave. Marchand gained a following on Twitter for posting street photos from his long trips. CTV News Ottawa interviewed him in January when he was among those stranded in a Virginia blizzard. On July 22, Marchand posted that he was stepping away from social media. Court documents show Marchand was arrested in South Carolina on July 14. Marchand posted that he was in Walterboro, SC on July 13th. He remains in custody in Florida, with bail set at $75,000. He faces up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine on each count under Florida state law. The charges against him have not been proven in court.
