Defendant Charged in Rochester Prostitution Sting Deported, Nationwide Arrest Warrant Issued
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- One of seven men charged in a recent Rochester prostitution sting has been deported.
Read More: 7 Men Charged After Rochester Police Undersgae Sex Investigation
That’s according to an Olmsted County Court filing. The court record indicates he was deported earlier this month ahead of a hearing that was scheduled for Monday.
48-year-old Hilario Perez Zenil was among the men charged following what law enforcement described as a proactive sex trafficking operation in mid-April conducted by the Rochester Police Department, Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, the Olmsted County Attorney's Office, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Police created and posted online advertisements on websites known to be used by people seeking to purchase sex.
The targets of the investigation were instructed to message a phone number provided on the ad to arrange for the illicit services, the criminal complaints say.
Court documents say the men chatted online with an undercover officer who was posing as a person under the age of 18. The seven men were arrested after showing up at an agreed upon meeting location in Rochester.
One of the defendants, 21-year-old Benjamin Michael Kinyon of Rochester, entered a guilty plea earlier this month.
Read More: First Guilty Plea Reached in Major Rochester Prostitution Bust
He’s scheduled to be sentenced in December. The cases against the five other defendants are still pending
Nationwide Arrest Warrant Issued for Deported Rochester Prostitution Defendant
Upon learning of his deportation, the Olmsted County Judge presiding over the case signed off on issuing an arrest warrant for Zenil.
The warrant calls for Zenil’s arrest if he comes into contact with any member of U.S. law enforcement. The court filing does not state which country Zenil was deported to.
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