Two South Florida men are accused of trafficking a girl who was reported missing — and using her to lure another teen girl in Hialeah.
Christopher Velazco, 27, and Jeremy Soto, 20, were arrested by the State Attorney’s Office Monday in Hialeah on charges of trafficking a minor. Velazco, who has an address listed in Miramar, is facing two counts of the charge.
The investigation into Velazco and Soto began when Miami-Dade police’s missing persons unit was investigating the disappearance of a 15-year-old girl whom they suspected was being trafficked. Police tipped off the State Attorney’s Office’s Human Trafficking Task Force and soon learned that she was in communication with another 15-year-old girl.
Velazco and Soto had been promoting the 15-year-old who had vanished from her home via a profile on a sex advertisement page, which they set up using the ID of a 19-year-old woman, police say. The girl had two “dates” lined up — with offers of $120 for 15 minutes of sex with older men.
She told the other 15-year-old that Velazco and Soto, a Miami Gardens resident, wanted to “test the waters” before giving her work, according to an arrest report. She also said the teen needed to perform oral sex on Velazco or Soto and “pack sexy clothes” before they linked up at her Hialeah home.
Then, on Monday evening, a red Lexus pulled up to the girl’s home. Inside was Velazco driving, with the 15-year-old and Soto in the back seat. Hialeah police, Miami-Dade police and the State Attorney’s Office’s task force busted the duo before they took the 15-year-old, also rescuing the missing teen.
Velazco and Soto are being held without bond at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Wednesday evening.
Source: Miami herald