Former child star Kyle Massey, who faced a lawsuit in 2019 for allegedly sending explicit photos, texts and videos to a 13-year-old girl, is now being charged with one count of immoral communication with a minor.
The actor, best known for his role on the Disney Channel shows That’s So Raven and Cory in the House in the 2000s, is accused of sending the messages during the months of December 2018 and January 2019, TMZ reported.
The teen's legal team initially chose to file a civil suit against the TV star. But the lawsuit stalled after the family's lawyers said Massey didn't have enough money to make the case worth it.
Police launched an investigation in 2020 after the girl's mother turned in a flash drive which allegedly contained explicit material Massey sent on Snapchat. The former child star failed to show up for his arraignment on Monday in King County, Washington, Variety reported.
In the 2019 lawsuit, the 29-year-old was sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress, harmful matter sent with intention of seducing a minor, attempting to commit a lewd act with a minor and annoying or molesting a minor.
The unnamed girl in the lawsuit allegedly met Massey when she was four years old and kept in touch with him, hoping that he would help her advance her acting ambitions. According to the complaint, the Disney star became close with the family and suggested for the teen to move from Seattle to Los Angeles, where Massey lived with his girlfriend.
As the communication continued, the aspiring actress showed interested in earning a role on a rebooted version of Cory in the House. A short time later, the Disney star allegedly requested to be the girl’s friend on Snapchat and sent “numerous sexually explicit text messages, images and videos.”
The family was seeking $1.5 million in the 2019 lawsuit.