A 48-year-old man was arrested in an undercover operation on suspicion of soliciting sex from a minor in Lemon Grove, authorities announced Friday.
Robert Owens was taken into custody Wednesday, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said.
A group of citizens in Lemon Grove brought detectives several postings that had been affixed to utility poles in the community advertising the “AZ24.CO” website. The posts claimed to be selling various items, including women’s clothing, as well as looking for partners to “cuddle” and “drink,” said Sgt. Jason Clark of the sheriff’s department.
A member of the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force posed as a 16-year-old girl and answered the ad. The detective was then solicited for sex acts by a man, later identified as Owens, Clark said. He arranged to meet with the decoy for sexual intercourse and when he arrived at the meeting location, detectives arrested Owens.
The trafficking task force is seeking the assistance from the public to determine if anyone else has been victimized or seen similar advertisements posted in other areas of the county.
Anyone with pertinent information can call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477 or visit the website at sdcrimestoppers.org.
– City News Service