LAKE WORTH, Texas — A 14-year-old who had previously been reported missing was recovered from an alleged trafficking situation, according to Lake Worth police. The accused suspect is now in jail on a $90,000 bond, police said.
Jesse Lee Manuel, 50, has been charged with trafficking a child to engage in sexual conduct, delivery of a controlled substance to a minor and sexual assault of a child.
According to the department, officers got information on Wednesday, June 9 that the girl, who had been reported missing days earlier on June 5, was at the Great Western Inn on Lake Worth Boulevard. When officers got there around 9:30 p.m., they found the 14-year-old in the room with Manuel, according to police.
Officers "immediately rescued the girl," and detained Manuel on suspicion of harboring a runaway.
"However, once separated from her assailant, the 14-year-old girl made an outcry to officers indicating she had been trafficked, drugged with methamphetamine and sexually assaulted," Lake Worth Police said in a release.
Police said the girl was reunited with her family and also taken to the hospital to receive medical treatment. Meanwhile, Manuel was taken to police headquarters for questioning.
During questioning, police executed a search warrant on the hotel room, where police said investigators found "multiple pieces of evidence." Based on the "overwhelming amount of evidence and statements obtained by Lake Worth PD Detectives," police said they arrested Manuel and charged him with multiple felony crimes. He's now being held in the Tarrant County Jail.
"This case serves as a sobering reminder that human trafficking is real and is affecting our precious children at an unprecedented rate," the department said in the release. "The Lake Worth Police Department stands shoulder to shoulder with federal, state and local partners, as well as responsible adults everywhere, to end atrocities like this one."
Police said they will continue their investigation in the coming days, as partner organizations work to coordinate care for the teen.
