South Austin Man Charged With Online Solicitation Of Minor

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX — An Austin man was charged with online solicitation of a minor after offering to pay for nude pictures, according to an arrest affidavit.

Police said Charles Cantu, 25, in January responded to a Craigslist ad he thought was posted by a 15-year-old girl looking for odd jobs to buy new clothes, according to an arrest affidavit referenced by the Austin American-Statesman. The ad actually was posted by a Georgetown police officer seeking to provoke reaction among those intent on preying on minors, according to the report.

According to the affidavit, Cantu responded to the ad and offered to pay $2,500 for nude pictures of who he believed was a teenage girl. Depending on how "open-minded you are," Cantu is alleged to have added, he would be willing to pay up to $5,000, according to the report.

The man then sent a couple of nude pictures of himself, presumably as an added incentive to lure her participation in the photo-sharing goal. During the officer's investigation, it was learned that Cantu had violated probation terms in his communications given that he was booked into Travis County Jail in March on unrelated narcotics charges.

As of this week, Cantu was being held in the Williamson County Jail with bail set at $100,000.

>>> Read the full story at Austin American-Statesman

Charles Cantu booking photo via Williamson County Jail records

Editor's note: The detainee is no relation to the author