A man suspected of soliciting sex from a minor was arrested Wednesday after 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 about unusual ad postings on utility poles in Lemon Grove, the sheriff's department said in a news release on Friday night.
The advertised website claimed to sell various items like women's clothing and accessories and was also seeking females to "cuddle" and "drink" with, according to SDSO.
Posing as a 16-year-old girl, deputies and officers with the task force responded to the ad, the department said. Authorities say 48-year-old Robert Owens from Lemon Grove then solicited who he thought was an underage girl for sex acts.
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
Owens was arrested at the meeting location, SDSO said.
The investigation is ongoing. The task force is asking anyone who has been victimized or has seen the ads posted in other parts of San Diego County to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
