A Guatemalan national with no legal immigration status in the United States is in the Marion County Jail without bond after deputies say he attempted to pay a believed 13-year-old girl $50 for sex.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, 23-year-old Ismael Pedro Tomas, of Gainesville, was arrested Aug. 11 after an undercover investigation by the Special Victims Unit. Detectives allege Tomas communicated online with what he thought was a 13-year-old child, sending sexually explicit messages over several weeks and repeatedly asking to meet for sexual activity.
Deputies say the “child” was actually an undercover detective who had posted decoy ads online. Investigators allege Tomas ignored multiple statements about the girl’s age and engaged in grooming behavior, including offering money, requesting sexual photos, and describing in detail what he wanted to do to her. He is accused of arranging a meeting at a RaceTrac gas station in Ocala, where deputies found him in possession of a wallet containing $50 in cash.
During a post-arrest interview, conducted in Spanish, Tomas allegedly admitted he traveled from Gainesville to Ocala to meet the girl, requested explicit photos, and discussed sexual activity with her. Deputies say he was also carrying a Guatemalan consular ID card and had no apparent ties to the Marion County community.
Tomas is charged with one count of human trafficking, seven counts of solicitation of a believed child for unlawful sexual conduct, and one count of traveling to meet a minor. Because of the nature of the charges, no bond was set.
Guatemalan Man Accused in $50-for-Sex Meeting With Believed 13-Year-Old
