Youth pastor and adoptive parent arrested for human trafficking in Florida

Two Florida men were arrested for human trafficking after allegedly inciting minors to engage in sexual activity on social media, officials said.

Moises Escoto, a 36-year-old youth pastor, and Joel Lutz, a 38-year-old registered foster parent, have been arrested in connection with a human trafficking investigation, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.

The sheriff’s office said its human trafficking team launched an investigation after a mother reported finding disturbing content on her 16-year-old daughter’s phone.

Investigators discovered that Escoto contacted the victim two years ago on a chat and meeting app called Sniffies. After initially coming into contact with the teenager, Escoto allegedly extorted photos and videos of a sexual nature in exchange for money and gifts.

According to investigators, Escoto also secretly met with the victim and had a sexual relationship. He was a youth pastor at the Iglesia de Cristo Missionary Machanaim Church. He was arrested on February 9th.

During the investigation, the police found that Lutz had sexual relations with a minor, whom he also found in the Sniffies app for money. Lutz was arrested on February 15 while working at the Outback Steakhouse.

“It is absolutely disgusting that these two men, who have held positions of mentoring and trusting children in our community, have used online applications to find and harass our youth,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we know that predators are constantly on the hunt to destroy the innocence of our community. I urge parents to always know where and what their children are doing online. We will not stop looking for these deviants wherever they may be, and we ask parents and the community to help us protect our precious children.”

Escoto and Lutz are charged with human trafficking for commercial sexual activity, indecent or lustful beatings, using computer services or devices to incite certain illegal activities, traveling to meet a minor after using computer services or devices to incite certain illegal activities, using computer services for indecent or lascivious display of a defendant over the age of 18, passing harmful material to a minor, illegal use of a two-way communication device, illegal sexual activity with a minor, and other charges.