Ada County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 41-year-old Caldwell man who tried to use Craigslist to lure a woman and her pre-teen daughter into having sex – before learning he was actually talking to a detective.
Juan Salinas Jr. is charged with attempted lewd conduct in connection with the case.
Deputies arrested Salinas Jr. in the parking lot of a hotel in Meridian early Wednesday evening where he had made arrangements to meet the mother and girl.
Detectives began their investigation in December after they answered a post on Craigslist. Salinas and the detective exchanged explicit messages over a period of several weeks before they made arrangements to meet Wednesday.
Deputies arrested Salinas and booked him into the Ada County Jail. His court appearance is set for Thursday afternoon.
The crime of attempted lewd conduct is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and requires anyone convicted of to have to register as a sex offender.
The Ada County Sheriff¹s detective in charge of the case works with the Idaho Crimes Against Children Task Force, a statewide coalition of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies focused on apprehending and prosecuting people who use the internet to criminally exploit children.
Members of the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force and Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office helped Ada County Sheriff’s deputies with the investigation and arrest of Salas.