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OREM — Police arrested an Orem man who they say confessed to providing THC and nicotine products to five females — including a 12-year-old girl — in exchange for sex acts.
Carlos Alonso Argueta Caballero, 24, was booked into the Utah County Jail on Tuesday and charged Wednesday in 4th District Court with aggravated human trafficking of a child, aggravated exploitation of prostitution of a child, rape of a child, two counts of sodomy on a child and drug distribution, all first-degree felonies; two counts of enticing a minor, a second-degree felony; and dealing in harmful materials to a minor, a third-degree felony.
The investigation began on Jan. 24 when Orem police received a report of a 12-year-old girl receiving a pornographic picture through Instagram from a man named "Carlos," according to a police booking affidavit.
"It had also been reported that the juvenile had met up with Carlos on two occasions and traded sexual favors for nicotine and THC," the affidavit states, adding that on one of those occasions, the girl "reported Carlos would not allow her to leave the car and held her down and raped her."
After serving a search warrant on Caballero's Instagram account, "multiple conversations were found where Carlos was contacting underage victims" and offering nicotine and THC in exchange for sex acts, the affidavit alleges. Police found Caballero at his home, questioned him and reported that he admitted to making transactions with five females.
"Carlos has provided more information on other transactions and more charges may surface. His residence was searched and multiple electronics as well as distribution amounts of THC were found inside. Carlos is also found to have a deportation order and is a threat to continue in his actions. He was still contacting females, up to the time of his arrest, on Instagram in an attempt to exchange sex acts for nicotine and THC," police wrote in the affidavit.
