A Hemet man faces 61 felony charges as cops say he posed as a woman on Facebook to lure young girls into prostitution.
Eliberto Cruz Jacobo, 44,was arrested on March 17th. He is accused of contacting approximately 120 girls through the misleading Facebook account he set up using the name ‘Marlissa Garcia’ which included pictures of this woman:
Via KESQ:
Authorities said Jacobo used the phony account to glamorize the escort lifestyle to the victims by sending explicit photographs, photos of large amounts of cash, followed by social media requests to participate in illegal acts for money.
Police began to investigate Jacobo in November of last year after he contacted two juveniles in The Coachella Valley. They declined his request and reported him to the cops.
An extensive investigation was launched and police discovered that Jacobo used the phony Facebook profile to target underage and young-looking Latino females across Southern California, according to the department.
Jacobo has been charged with 61 felonies and one misdemeanor count, including human trafficking, lewd and lascivious acts with a child, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, sending harmful matter to seduce minors, communication with a minor to commit a sexual offense, and use of a minor for the production of obscene matter.
Investigators are looking for potential victims in this case. If you have any information, you can call Deputy Daniel Engels of the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force at (951) 955-1700 or email him at dengels@riversidesheriff.org.
SafeHouse of the Desert will be holding a Human Trafficking 101 training that is open to the community. There are two events: Dec 9th from 10am – 12pm and Dec 9th from 1:00pm – 3:00pm
