An Andalusia man has been charged with allegedly “IM-ing” sexual comments to a young boy.

Sgt. Paul Dean with the Andalusia Police Department said Phillip Wade Grantham II, 32, was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of electronic solicitation of a child.

“We received the report on April 9 in reference to an inappropriate conversation between Grantham and a juvenile male,” Dean said. “It was sexual in nature.”

Dean said the incident was reported hours after it was discovered by a family member.

“With the increased popularity of social media Web sites such as Facebook and MySpace, the opportunity for persons to prey on others is prevalent,” Dean said. “Parents with children who frequent these sites should be aware that there are people out there looking for victims.

“My advice to parents is to be very vigilant in the policing of your child’s computer activities, and anyone with any suspicions of impropriety, contact your local law enforcement agency,” he said.