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SALT LAKE CITY — A La Verkin man faces felony charges after police say he paid a 17-year-old girl for nude photographs and then tried to extort her when she wouldn’t give him more.
Marquez Reed Jessup, 27, was charged Tuesday in 5th District Court with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony; sexual solicitation of a child and sexual extortion, both third-degree felonies; and unlawful sexual conduct with a 17-year-old, a class A misdemeanor.
The girl told police she met Jessup through a mutual friend and the two began communicating through Snapchat.
“The victim stated that Marquez offered to pay her money for attention and nude photographs of herself. The victim agreed and was paid between $50 and $75 for photographs and videos of her,” according to a police affidavit filed in court.
Jessup would pay the girl through Venmo, police said.
In July, Jessup paid the girl $400 for sexual intercourse, the affidavit states. Shortly after this incident, the girl told Jessup she did not want to do that again and “that she didn’t want to have anymore communication with him.”
After telling him this, “she said Marquez threatened to blackmail her by posting her sexually explicit photographs and videos on the internet if she didn’t comply with his request” for more pictures, the affidavit states.
The girl then did an internet search on what would happen if Jessup posted explicit pictures of minors and came across the FBI’s website. She sent a message to the FBI’s tip line and on Aug. 31, that message was relayed to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, according to the affidavit.
Jessup was interviewed at his home by deputies, arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail.
