Florida Youth Pastor, Foster Parent Accused of Human Trafficking, Soliciting Minors Using Social Media

A youth pastor and a foster parent in Florida are accused of human trafficking and soliciting minors for sexual activity on social media, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) announced on Friday.

HCSO’s Human Trafficking Section began investigating a case on February 9 after a mother reported “disturbing content” on her 16-year-old’s cell phone, according to officials. Through the investigation, detectives learned that 36-year-old Moises Escoto, a youth pastor at Iglesia de Cristo Misionera Mahanaim Church, had contacted the minor two years prior via a chat and meetup app called Sniffies.

Detectives are accusing Escoto of soliciting the minor for sexually explicit pictures and videos in exchange for money and gifts as well as meeting the minor secretly and engaging in sexual acts. Escoto was arrested by human trafficking detectives on the same day.

Deputies have arrested 2 suspects involved in human trafficking who found their victim on a chat app. One suspect was a youth pastor, and the other a foster parent. Read about the investigation, & the warning from the Sheriff to parents about online apps.https://t.co/Tj6A0y3Ttp pic.twitter.com/juRxEqBB9r

— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) February 17, 2023

During the investigation, detectives discovered another man accused of finding a minor on the Sniffies app and engaging in sexual acts with that child in exchange for money, officials said. Pasco County resident and registered foster parent Joel Lutz, 38, was arrested on February 15 at an Outback Steakhouse in Pinellas County where he works.

Both Escoto and Lutz are facing charges of human trafficking for commercial sexual activity, lewd or lascivious battery, use of computer services or devices to solicit certain illegal acts, traveling to meet a minor after using computer services to solicit certain illegal acts, use of computer services for lewd or lascivious exhibition of a defendant over 18, transmission of harmful material to a minor, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and unlawful sexual activity with a minor, among other charges. 

“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,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister.

“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,” Chronister continued. “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.”