Boston College staff member under accusation for attempted procurement of underage sex trafficking
A former assistant admissions director at Emmanuel College in Boston, Jacob Henriques, aged 29, finds himself in hot water following accusations of soliciting underage college applicants for illicit activities, according to prosecutors. On Friday, Henriques was taken into custody and charged with attempted sex trafficking of a minor.
In an official statement, Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley's office claimed that Henriques exploited his position in admissions to secure access to personal information of admitted or prospective students. On April 25, Henriques allegedly initiated contact with at least three students, offering them money for lewd activities and in some instances, sending explicit videos and images. A fourth student was propositioned in the same manner after committing to the college.
During a college tour on April 25, Henriques is said to have made advances on a 17-year-old girl, asking about her local high school, reviewing her registration form containing her date of birth, and then proceeding to message her with sexual offers. He reportedly declined to identify himself and refused to disclose his means of contacting the victim.
Henriques is suspected to have accessed the minor's profile 47 times between April 25 and April 28, even after she blocked his phone number. He allegedly continued to solicit her via email.
Emmanuel College confirmed Henriques's employment, stating that he has since been terminated. The Catholic institution expressed its disappointment, anger, and shock over the allegations, stating that they contradict the college's core values. Emmanuel College immediately contacted law enforcement upon learning about the incidents and initiated an investigation. The FBI's Boston Division continues to search for potential additional victims.
Set to appear in U.S. district court in Boston on Monday, Henriques currently does not have legal representation. Conviction of attempted sex trafficking of a minor may lead to life imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and fines up to $250,000.
The case raises concerns that there may be more victims, with sources indicating that Henriques is believed to have solicited as many as 16 young women over the past year. This case is part of a broader federal operation targeting child sexual predators, resulting in over 200 arrests during the period from April 28 to May 2. Detailed information regarding specific numbers or identities of these potential victims remains undisclosed in the available search results.
- Amidst the growing concerns of potential additional victims, the FBI's Boston Division is actively investigating cases related to child sexual predators, with the arrest of Jacob Henriques being one of over 200 such cases during the last week of April and the first week of May.
- While the case of Jacob Henriques primarily revolves around his alleged attempts at sex trafficking of minors, it also raises concerns about the impact on education-and-self-development, particularly in institutions like Emmanuel College, where such illicit activities can jeopardize the health-and-wellness and overall safety of students.
- As this case unfolds, header topics such as crime-and-justice, general-news, and sexual-health remain prominent, with implications for not only the individual charged but also the community, highlighting the importance of vigilance and education in the fight against such crimes.
