A staff member at Emmanuel College was arrested and charged Friday evening after being accused of soliciting an underage college applicant for commercial sex, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley’s office.
Jacob Henrique, 29, of Boston who served as an assistant admissions director at the school, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor, the release states. Henrique will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston on May 5.
Henrique is accused of using his position to gain access to personal information of prospective and admitted students and then contacting them to solicit them for commercial sex with him, the U.S. attorney’s office states.
Specifically, on April 25, Henrique met with multiple prospective and admitted students.
During these interactions, he is accused of using their personal information to initiate contact with at least three students, offering to “pay them for some fun” and providing or offering pornography including sending explicit videos or images in some instances, according to the statement.
Henrique is also accused of contacting a fourth girl after she formally committed to attend Emmanuel College on April 25, Foley’s office said. He then is accused of offering to pay her for “some fun” and began sending pornographic videos to her.
The charge of attempting sex trafficking involves a 17-year-old prospective student. The U.S. attorney’s office reports that Henrique is accused of reviewing her tour registration form, which contained her date of birth, just before giving her a tour of the college on April 25. He asked the girl what grade she was in, and she stated she attended a local high school.
Within hours after the tour, Henrique is accused of texting the number she provided on her admissions form, offering to pay her $400 “for some fun” and that she had pornographic videos and pictures for her according to the statement.
Although the girl rejected the offer multiple times, Henrique is accused of telling her via text to let him know if she changed her mind and that he would buy her anything she wanted, Foley’s office said.
Between April 25 and April 28, Henrique accessed the girl’s profile 47 times.
He continued to contact the girl that night, refusing the tell her who he was or how he got her number. Henrique is then accused of telling the girl that “porn” and “$” was ready for her.
Henrique then is accused of sending the girl five pornographic videos depicting men and women engaged in sex acts and asked her whether or not she wanted to participate in a “gang-bang” and whether or not she wanted to have sex with him, Foley’s office wrote.
After the girl blocked his phone number, Henrique is accused of soliciting her via email, Foley’s office said.
The charge of attempted sex trafficking of a minor provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, with a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
