TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, Fla. — Deputies arrested a man accused of sexually battering an 11-year-old at a Tampa Bay-area gas station.
The child's mother called the sheriff's office Tuesday after finding inappropriate and sexually explicit text messages from 33-year-old Jorge Moreno on her child's phone, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office news release.
Deputies say they learned that the day prior, Moreno sexually battered the child at a gas station on Hillsborough Avenue. The two, according to authorities, did not know each other prior to meeting.
Both reportedly had planned on seeing each other again until the mother intervened. Deputies instead caught up to Moreno at the gas station, where he confessed to the crime, the sheriff's office said.
Moreno was arrested and charged with sexual battery, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, traveling to meet a minor after using computer services/devices to solicit certain illegal acts and use of computer services/devices to solicit illegal acts.
"There are people out there who are predatory and seeking out minors for sex, but in Hillsborough County, if you're coming for our children, we're coming for you," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "I commend the parents of this juvenile victim for monitoring her child's cell phone and bringing this matter to us for investigation.
"This incident should serve as a reminder to all parents to keep an eye on their children's lives online and on their mobile devices."
