Sub Shop Manager Busted Trying to Meet 13-Year-Old

Summary

A 28-year-old general manager of a sandwich shop chain was caught in a sting operation after attempting to meet a 13-year-old boy, believing him to be younger than his actual age of 13. The man, identified as Jesse Velez, engaged in graphic text conversations and even sent nude photos to the decoy, who was an operative working with the predator watchdog group TetraCore. Velez expressed a desire to have the boy live with him and discussed meeting up. During the sting, Velez was confronted by the undercover decoy and then apprehended by Fairfield police. He initially claimed he only wanted to make friends and hang out, denying sexual intentions, but admitted to sending inappropriate pictures. Velez was charged with two felonies: attempted risk of injury to a minor and enticing a minor by computer. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison, suspended after serving two years, and must register as a sex offender for ten years.