Youth pastor and adoptive parent arrested for human trafficking

HILLSBORO COUNTY, Florida. The youth pastor and foster parent were arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on charges of human trafficking.

After a mother discovered disturbing content on her 16-year-old’s phone, HCSO officials launched an investigation.

During the investigation, the police found out that the child used a meeting app called Sniffies to contact a 36-year-old man named Moises Escoto. The HCSO stated that Escoto demanded sexually explicit material from the child in exchange for money and gifts, and also met with the child to perform sexual acts.

The two have been in contact for almost two years.

Escoto is the youth pastor of the Iglesia de Cristo Missionera Mahanaim Church.

During the investigation, detectives found a second suspect named Joel Lutz. Lutz, who is a registered foster parent, is accused of using the same app to find and perform sexual acts with the child.

Escoto and Lutz face charges including human trafficking, indecent battery, illegal sexual relations with minors, etc.