Silke Jasso
Two Florida men were arrested for human trafficking after supposedly using social media to solicit minors for sexual activity. Moises Escoto, 36, is a youth pastor, and Joel Lutz, 38 is a registered foster parent and were both taken into custody by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office as part of the human trafficking investigation.
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The investigation was launched after a mother reported discovering disturbing material on her 16-year-old’s phone. After investigations, authorities had determined that Escoto had been in contact with the victim for two years using a meetup app called Sniffies, where he solicited sexually explicit content in exchange for money and gifts. Investigators also found evidence that Escoto had secretly met with the victim and engaged in sexual acts. Escoto was a youth pastor at the Iglesia de Cristo Misionera Mahanaim Church. He was arrested on February 9.
Florida Youth Pastor, Foster Parent Arrested
During the investigation, authorities found that Lutz had also engaged in sexual acts with a minor he had also found on Sniffles app in exchange for money. He was arrested on February 15, 2020, at his job at Outback Steakhouse.
“It is absolutely disgusting that these two men, who were placed in positions of mentorship and trust with children in our community, used online apps to seek out and victimize our youth,” Sheriff Chad Chronister revealed in a statement. “Unfortunately, we know that predators are constantly on the hunt to ruin the innocence of our community. I urge parents to know where and what their children are doing online at all times. We will not stop searching for these deviants wherever they may be, and we ask for parents and the community to help us protect our precious children.”
Both men are facing charges of human trafficking for commercial sexual activities, use of computer services or devices to solicit illegal acts, lewd or lascivious battery, use of computer services for lewd or lascivious exhibition defendant over 18, transmission of harmful material to minor, unlawful sexual activity with a minor and other charges, and unlawful use of two-way communications device.
