TAMPA — A Houston man was arrested on charges including human trafficking for delivering a juvenile to a Citrus Park motel to have sex with a man who turned out to be an undercover investigator, according to an arrest affidavit.

The two had traveled to Tampa for the sole purpose of prostitution, according to the affidavit from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Jamel Jermaine Muldrew, 32, was arrested Friday during a surveillance operation after he drove a rental car into the hotel parking lot and the juvenile stepped out, according to the affidavit.

The undercover investigator had arranged the rendezvous by calling a phone number he obtained through an online advertisement for an escort service.

Muldrew drove away from the hotel and parked at the Citrus Park Mall while the juvenile met with the investigator.

They moved to a hotel room and a deal was arranged, according to the affidavit. The juvenile was then detained and identified Muldrew as “Rashad,” the name on messages recovered from the juvenile’s mobile phone, the affidavit said.

Investigators learned that Muldrew provides protection and “coaches” the juvenile, the affidavit said. He rented the car in Texas and bought the juvenile a Greyhound bus ticket so they could meet in Tampa for the purpose of prostitution, the affidavit said.

Muldrew picked the juvenile up at the Tampa bus station downtown and they stayed at a hotel near the Tampa airport.

During their time in Tampa, Muldrew transported the juvenile to a number of locations for prostitution and kept 25 percent to 50 percent of the money they collected, the affidavit said.

The age and gender of the juvenile were redacted from the arrest affidavit.

Muldrew was arrested on felony charges of human trafficking for sexual activity with a victim under 18 and deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution and on a misdemeanor charge of transporting for prostitution.

He was being held at the Hillsborough County Jail Wednesday in lieu of $350,000 bail.

By Joseph Franklin

We blog about human trafficking and child porn cases. If you have any information on the situation please feel free to call the nation human trafficking hotline at 1-888-7888

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