NEWPORT—A 25-year-old Arizona man will appear before U. S. Magistrate Clifton L. Corker at the United States Courthouse in Greeneville on Tuesday, June 23, and learn whether or not he will be released until his Aug. 18, 2015, trial for using a means of interstate commerce to induce a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Santiago Perez, aka Junior Perez, was arrested in Nashville on May 28, 2015, after flying to Tennessee from Phoenix, Ariz. Perez, according to court documents, had also rented a car in Nashville for the apparent purposes of driving to Newport.
Perez’s arrests came after a fourteen-year-old Cocke County High School student notified the school’s resource office on May 15, 2015, that she had sent nude photos of herself to Perez, using an LG mobile telephone.
Court documents state the school officer notified the Cocke County Sheriff’s office for assistance and that Detective Robert Thornton then met with the minor and her mother at the school. Thornton reportedly seized the girl’s telephone at that time and then contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation for assistance.
On May 18, 2015, FBI Special Agents David Bishop and Bianca Pearson interviewed the victim and her parents, court documents say, and the victim and her parents gave law enforcement officers written consent to search the victim’s mobile telephone, laptop computer, product key, and online accounts. The victim’s parents also gave their verbal consent for law enforcement officers to assume the victim’s online identify.
During the interview, the victim reportedly told officers she had received the telephone as a Christmas gift in December of 2013, and in January and February of 2014 had installed software applications Snap Chat and Kik on it. On both applications, the victim reportedly listed her age as 14 years.
Court documents say she sent nude photos of herself to between 10 and 20 individuals online using Snap Chat or Kik and had received payment in the form of credit card information and addresses, which she used to purchase items for herself via the internet.
In March of 2015, an individual identifying himself as “Junior Santiago Perez” reportedly contacted the girl through Kik. Again the victim is said to have identified herself as 14 years old, and Perez allegedly said he was in his 20s.
Perez reportedly asked the victim to supply nude photographs of herself, which she did, and Perez then sent her a credit card number and address for her to use in the purchase of clothes, accessories, and furniture for her virtual condo, an online gaming application.
The victim also reportedly supplied Perez with her telephone number and the two became verbal communications and text messaging, during which the victim is said to have provided detailed information about herself, her family, their home address and contact information and legal status. In April and early May, the victim sent more nude photographs of herself to Perez.
By mid-May, however, Perez, according to court documents, “became annoying with his telephone calls and text messages and often used abusive language when [the victim] failed to respond, telling her “he had seen her residence in Newport, Tennessee and sent photographs of her home to her, indicating he had been physically present in Newport…”
Perez also allegedly told the victim of his plans to fly to Tennessee, rent a car in Nashville and drive to Newport, “for the purpose of engaging in sexual intercourse.”
Perez’s hearing today (Tuesday) is set for 1:30 p.m. If there is a plea agreement, the fully-executed plea agreement must be filed no later than Aug. 4, 2015, and the attorneys shall immediately notify the District Judge’s clerk. All requests for jury instructions must be submitted no later than five working days prior to the trial, which has been set for Aug. 18, 2015, before United States District Judge J. Ronnie Greer at 9 a.m.
Story by The Newport Plain Talk