Man arrested in East County accused of soliciting minors for sex – NBC 7 San Diego

A man suspected of soliciting a minor for sex was arrested Wednesday following an undercover operation in San Diego’s East County, authorities said.

The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, launched an investigation after law enforcement received reports of unusual advertising posters on utility poles in Lemon Grove, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release Friday evening.

According to SDSO, the advertised website claimed to sell various items such as women’s clothing and accessories and also sought women for “cuddles” and “drinks.”

Deputies and task force officers posed as a 16-year-old girl and responded to the report, the department said. Authorities say 48-year-old Robert Owens of Lemon Grove then solicited a person he believed to be an underage girl to perform sexual acts.

Owens was arrested at the meeting point, SDSO said.

The investigation is ongoing. The Task Force is asking anyone who has been a victim of the assault or who has seen the notices posted in other parts of San Diego County to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.