ORLANDO, Fla. — A man accused of luring teenagers he could sell them for sex at an Orlando, Florida, motel has been arrested.
Investigators said the two victims were 15 and 16 years old, and they recently left a group home in Polk County.
Edward Alvarez, 23, used the Plenty of Fish dating app to find the girls, investigators said.
The site required users to be at least 18 years old.
Alvarez told an undercover agent he used site to try and find future prostitutes.
He’s accused of trafficking two teenagers and selling them for sex.
The 15-year-old victim told a metropolitan Bureau of Investigation agent she met Alvarez on Plenty of Fish.
The victims told agents Alvarez had them take sexual pictures, and he then posted them on backpage.com.
It took MBI agents three days to rescue the girls, who were being kept at a Knight Inn on Orange Blossom Trail.
Employees at the motel said they keep an eye out for possible human trafficking and monitor the cameras around the business often.
During the investigation, Alvarez spoke to an undercover agent, saying he didn’t intimidate the girls and said, “I ain’t going to force nobody.”
He went on to say, “I tried to help them better themselves.”
Alvarez also told the agent he was going back on Plenty of Fish to quote, “Get some more.”
MBI said Alvarez is a known gang member and the teens said he tried to intimidate them by saying he was wanted for murder.
Alvarez is being held in the Orange County Jail without bond.
He has a past conviction of a violent crime and has a vehicular homicide case pending.
Cox Media Group
