A college admissions worker in Boston was arrested Friday after he was accused of offering $400 to a 17-year-old prospective student in exchange for sex, federal officials said.
Jacob Henriques, 29, used his position as an assistant admissions director at Emmanuel College to gain access to the personal information of at least four potential students before contacting them, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts alleged.
Henriques met with at least three such students on April 25. He is accused of contacting them afterward with offers to “pay them for some fun,” along with offering them and sending them pornography, officials said.
Henriques contacted a fourth victim after she formally committed to attending the school on April 25, the attorney’s office said. He allegedly offered to pay her for “some fun” before sending her pornographic videos.
Between April 25 and April 28, Henriques allegedly accessed the girl’s profile 47 times. After she blocked his number, Henriques started emailing her, federal officials said.
Henriques was charged with one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor.
An Emmanuel College spokesperson told WBZ-TV that Henriques has since been fired after an internal investigation.
“[We are] saddened, angered, and shocked by these serious federal allegations that have been brought against a former employee,” the spokesperson said. “They are an affront to our core values, and we stand with any victimized by this incident.”
The FBI said it is seeking other potential victims who Henriques may have targeted between 2024 and 2025. (iStock)
Henriques is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Boston on Monday. He faces up to life in prison if found guilty.
The FBI’s Boston Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is seeking to identify other potential victims of Henriques who he may have targeted between 2024 and 2025.
