Youth Counselor Jailed For Allegedly Extorting Teen Boy For Sex, Posing As Girl On Snapchat
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A YMCA counselor is under arrest for allegedly posing as a girl on Snapchat and threatening to extort a teenage boy for sex.
Investigators say 18-year-old Joseph Garcia met the boy at camp, and later posed online as a 16-year-old girl nicknamed Kiki. Under the guise, police say he convinced the boy to send nude photos, and then threatened to send the photos to the boy's mother unless he kept sending more naked pictures, according to the arrest report.
"Im gonna ask for kinky stuff and youre going to say Yes Mam," Garcia texted the boy, according to the arrest report. "As many as I want, as frequent as I want," the report states. "And if you dont text meim gonna send."
The teen complied, stating, "He wanted to do it just so he can be free."
Eventually, police say, Garcia demanded the teen boy have a threesome with "Kiki."
Despite the fact that "Kiki" threatened to tell the boy's mother, the teen told police what was going on.
Investigators then posed as the teen and set up a date to supposedly have sex. When Garcia showed up at their meeting location, a West Kendall fast food restaurant, police were there to arrest him.
The YMCA issued a statement after Garcia's arrest which read in part:
"The safety and well-being of all kids in our programs is our first priority. To ensure the safety of our students, the YMCA adheres to all background screening requirements by the Department of Children and Families and the School Board of Miami-Dade County. Upon arrest, the staff person was immediately suspended, pending further investigation."
Garcia is charged with extortion, traveling to meet a minor for sex, promoting sexual performance by a minor and possession obscene material harmful to a minor.
He remains jailed at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
