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WEST VALLEY CITY — A 22-year-old man has been arrested and accused of trading alcohol and marijuana cartridges to teenage girls in exchange for sex acts.
Uriel Quijano Vazquez was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday and charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with two counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, a first-degree felony; three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, a second-degree felony; and aggravated assault, a third-degree felony.
The investigation began when a teen girl told a school resource officer in South Jordan about what was happening. The case was later transferred to West Valley police after it was determined that Vazquez lived in a basement apartment in that city.
A 17-year-old girl told police she would receive free "bottles" or "carts" from Vazquez, meaning bottles of alcohol or marijuana vape cartridges, after going to his apartment and engaging in sexual activity, according to a police booking affidavit.
"After they were done, Uriel would open a cabinet where there were various alcohol bottles and marijuana cartridges," the affidavit states.
Investigators served a search warrant on Vazquez's Snapchat account and "found multiple photos of girls who appeared to be in the age range of 16 to 17 exposing (themselves)," according to the affidavit.
Detectives served a search warrant on Vazquez's residence on Tuesday.
"Uriel has been targeting underage girls across Salt Lake County. Uriel has been providing them with alcohol and weed in exchange for sex acts. Uriel has admitted to six victims, but there are currently still two victims unidentified," police noted in the arrest report.
Anyone with additional information on Vazquez is asked to call police at 801-840-4100.
