A FIL-AM male from San Diego, California could face 13 years in prison if he is found guilty of posing as a modeling agent to lure women into modeling nude for photographs, and then blackmailing them to perform sex acts, according to San Diego County prosecutors.
Maverick Mendez Rosales, also known as Michael, pleaded not guilty to extortion, two counts of oral copulation by duress, one count of rape, and misdemeanor sexual battery. He was ordered held on $300,000 bail.
San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced that prosecutors have filed felony charges against Rosales, who is accused of running a fake modeling agency for years.
The 24-year-old allegedly took nude photos of the young women for the “modeling agency,” and then later threatened to release the photos on the Internet or to the women’s families if they did not perform sex acts or give him money.
Rosales solicited the unidentified women using online sites such as Craigslist and Facebook. One of the women was allegedly extorted for her nude photos for two years, said Deputy District Attorney Martin Doyle.
Two of the victims are named in a criminal complaint against Rosales, who was arrested Wednesday, July 29 in Mission Valley.
Doyle said authorities believe there are still more victims of the sex schemes. The investigation is ongoing.
“We certainly hope that any additional victims of Mr. Rosales come forward,” the prosecutor said. “We’re committed to holding him accountable for what he did to each of you, and we hope that you have the courage to call the District Attorney’s Office and let us know what happened to you as well.”
A readiness conference was set for August 11, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for August 13.
Anyone who believes they could have been a victim of Rosales are asked to call District Attorney Investigator Nancy Dodd at 619-615-6864. (with reports from Inquirer, San Diego 6, NBC San Diego, ABC10 News San Diego)
