Man charged with 61 felonies in FB prostitution pandering case
A Hemet man has been charged with 61 felonies in connection to a fictitious Facebook prostitution pandering scheme where he contacted young-looking and underage females throughout Southern California, including the Coachella Valley.
Authorities said the suspect mostly targeted Hispanic females.
Eliberto Cruz Jacobo, 44, was arrested on March 17 after a search warrant was served at his home in the 1300 block of Cinnabar Avenue in Hemet. Authorities said he’s accused of contacting approximately 120 girls through the misleading Facebook account he set up using the name ‘Marlissa Garcia’.
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.
The investigation began in November of 2014 after two Coachella Valley juveniles said “Marlissa Garcia” contacted them via Facebook. The students declined the offer and reported the incident, according to deputies.
The Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force uncovered more than 100 similar prostitution pandering attempts, spanning over a two-year period, after serving several search warrants related to Facebook and various internet service providers, according to the release.
Officers found numerous items of electronic evidence at Jacobo’s home in Hemet and later arrested him while he was working.
Investigators said Jacobo would try to gain the trust of the young females and persuade them to engage in acts of prostitution. He was able to convince nearly 17 different victims to engage in illegal sexual acts with him and at least four of those victims were underage at the time.
Jacobo was booked into the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta in March and the Riverside County Human Task Force began working closely with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office to bring charges against him.
Authorities have charged Jacobo 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.
Officials said a judge found enough evidence for Jacobo to stand trial on all counts during two preliminary hearings. He has a trial readiness conference scheduled for both cases on Dec. 21.
If convicted as currently charged, Jacobo faces the potential of lifetime incarceration. He remains in jail at the Larson Justice Center in Indio with bail set at $1 million.
Authorities said although some of these females have been identified through the investigation, many other potential victims are still unknown, or only known through their Facebook accounts; many of which are no longer active.
Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact Deputy Daniel Engels with the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force at (951) 955-1700. You can also email him at dengels@riversidesheriff.org.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reminds parents to closely monitor the internet activities of their children and talk to them about the dangers posed by online predators.
KESQ spoke with human rights activists with Safe House of the Desert. Experts there say parents can spot signs that their children are building a relationship with a predator.
“One of the ways a pimp or a trafficker works is by giving them gifts, it can look like a boyfriend giving them gifts, giving them money, and promising love,” said Kristen Dolan, Anti-Human Trafficking Director with Safe House of the Desert.
Safe House of the Desert is hosting human trafficking seminars on December 9th to educate the public on crimes like these.
For additional safety tips and resource materials, parents can visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website.
News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will continue to bring you updates on this developing case as more information is released.
