SAN ANTONIO – A 42-year-old man is facing two counts of online solicitation of a minor after investigators say he believed he was communicating with 14-year-old girls but was actually messaging undercover law enforcement officers.
An undercover investigation led to the arrest of Alonzo Arce Jr., who was taken into custody at a Northwest Side restaurant.
Bexar County Sheriff’s Javier Salazar said Arce had been communicating online with what he believed were two 14-year-old girls. Instead, investigators say he was messaging an undercover Bexar County deputy and an undercover U.S. Secret Service agent, who were each conducting separate investigations involving him.
Sheriff Salazar said investigators found Arce had engaged in regular conversations with people he believed were young teenage girls. Those conversations allegedly included grooming behavior and sexually suggestive comments.
Salazar said the case serves as a reminder for parents to stay involved in their children’s online activity and to know who they are communicating with, both online and in person.
These are folks that we associate with on a daily basis and, even worse, these are folks that are in positions of trust,” Salazar said. “Many times we trust them to be around our family members, around our children and unfortunately in this day and age, you just can’t afford to trust anybody.
Arce remains in the Bexar County Jail. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence ranging from two to 10 years on each count.