N.J. man who reportedly worked as costumed character and mascot charged with exchanging sexually explicit material with preteen girl

A 19-year-old New Jersey man who reportedly has worked as a costumed character or mascot for amusement parks and sports venues has been charged with exchanging sexually explicit material with a preteen girl in Missouri, acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa L. Hilton said Tuesday.

Don-Diego Parkman of Hamilton Township was charged with one count of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, one count of first-degree manufacturing of child sexual abuse material, and related offenses. Hilton said her office has filed a motion to detain Parkman pending trial.

New Jersey authorities recently were alerted by law enforcement in Missouri that a minor there allegedly had been exchanging sexually explicit material with Parkman, Hilton said.

An investigation in New Jersey was launched and detectives discovered that in addition to allegedly exchanging sexually explicit messages and photos with the preteen girl, Parkman was directing her to take photos and videos of herself engaging in sexual conduct to send to him.

Last week, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Parkman’s residence and seized items for evidence, Hilton said. Parkman was taken into custody without incident.

During the investigation, Hilton said, authorities learned that Parkman had been employed in the last year as a costumed character and mascot for companies including Six Flags Great Adventure, Sesame Place in Bucks County, and regional sports organizations.

In an emailed statement, Six Flags Great Adventure declined to comment on the investigation but did confirm “this person was hired after passing a criminal background check but never actually worked.”

Representatives for Sesame Place and the other organizations could not be reached for comment.