An man working at a Chattanooga plant is facing charges after he allegedly traveled to Knoxville to have sex with a girl he believed was 12-years-old, court records show.
Juan Alberto Robles Zavala was arrested Friday after he drove his vehicle into the parking lot of a hotel on Cracker Barrel Lane off Strawberry Plains Pike, where he expected to meet with a mother and her daughter, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court.
Court records show Robles is an illegal immigrant who worked for Alstom, a turbine manufacturing firm in Chattanooga, at the time of his arrest. He is currently being held on federal charges of enticement of a child for sexual exploitation.
He was targeted in a joint probe by the Knoxville Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, or ICAC, and a similar unit operated by the Blount County Sheriff’s Office.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Agent Michelle Evans wrote in the complaint Robles responded in October to an email account set up by authorities in their search for online child predators.
Over the next few months, an undercover agent traded emails with Robles, who, from the start, expressed interest in having sex with a young girl, the complaint stated. He believed he was communicating with the mother of “Amy,” a 12-year-old girl, and would be her first sexual partner.
Eventually, Robles began directing his emails to the fictitious girl, asking her about school, outlining the details of their sexual encounter and assuring her he would be gentle.
A Jan. 30 meeting date was abandoned after Robles encountered a work problem, according to an email included in the federal complaint.
“A manager was dismissed at work, and we got the extra load to care in very short time,” he allegedly wrote.
He rescheduled the tryst for Friday, though he said it would have to be a quick encounter.
“I would love to go out for dinner with both of you,” the email stated. “Next time I may stay overnight if you would like for me to do that.”