On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced the arrest of John Michael Romero Mendoza, a 26-year-old Boca Raton resident who was allegedly trolling the iPhone app BoyAhoy in search of teenaged boys to have sex with.
For those not in the know, BoyAhoy is the self-proclaimed "fastest growing gay dating app" that provides the "hottest, newest, and most fun way of meeting singles mobilely."
As should be expected, the affidavit for this arrest is chock full of internet creepiness, including a "dark and out of focus" picture of a finger meant to look like a penis.
It took only four minutes of online chatting before Mendoza asked a 15-year-old boy, "how big is [your] cock?" He then asked to see it. Six minutes later, Mendoza, who was chatting under the moniker John Michael, asked the 15-year-old to send a picture.
The problem was that the 15-year-old boy was actually a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security.
To keep Mendoza chatting without actually sending a dick pic, the special agent sent a murky photo of a finger meant to resemble a penis. Mendoza didn't fall for it.
After getting the bogus pic, Mendoza told the teenaged boy to go into the bathroom and take a real pic. "Don't be nervous sweetie," Mendoza advised. But the special agent flipped the script and convinced Mendoza to send a pic of his own junk, which he did in under a minute.
Phone numbers were exchanged, and Mendoza later confirmed he didn't care that the newly found internet boy toy was 15, so long as he didn't call the cops. The next day, the two agreed to meet at a shopping center on Palmetto Park Road, where blowjobs and massages would be exchanged.
According to the affidavit, Mendoza stocked his car with condoms, lube, and "homosexual pornographic magazines in plain view."
If Mendoza is found guilty, he could face a ten-year mandatory minimum and be registered as a sex offender for life. There's also the chance that he could be hit with the maximum penalty, which is life in prison, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.
