A San Diego real estate agent accused of paying young girls for sex will spend the next 10 years in federal prison.
Michael Lustig, 71, of Rancho Santa Fe was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to three prostitution-related charges in July, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies first contacted Lustig in June 2012 as part of a prostitution sting. When he was arrested, deputies seized two cell phones from him, which showed he was in contact with two minors, investigators said.
According to court documents, Lustig used “bookstore” and “library” as code words to arrange meetings with the girls, ages 11 and 13. On Oct. 15, 2011, he texted, “Hey, is the bookstore open? I'm in desperate need of books rite now.” On Nov. 11, 2011, he wrote “U free sometime in the next 2 hours?” and “Any chance for library in 35 min, @ 7:15?”
Investigators interviewed the two girls, who said they knew the suspect as “George” and had been paid by him for sexual activity. Surveillance video from an El Cajon motel captured Lustig going into a room with one of the girls and emerging 43 minutes later, court documents showed.
These interactions happened between October 2011 and June 2012, according to the documents. He was indicted in October 2013.
Lustig faced a maximum of 15 years in prison.
