Florida police say a convicted pimp and his suspected accomplice are in jail after being accused of grooming an 18-year-old girl for prostitution.
The arrest report states that 32-year-old Saint Matthew Hopson and 19-year-old Atilia Cleto Thomas face charges of human trafficking and pressuring someone to become a prostitute while compelling and coercing her.
On Jan. 14, Hopson met the teen on Facebook Dating and started to groom her. He then brought her to Miami to take photos for escorting services.
A month later, after she refused to do prostitution, he took her home.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement, “This human trafficking victim was allegedly groomed for sexual exploitation through the use of social media by Saint Matthew Hopson,” adding that “Despite his name, we are alleging that Hopson’s actions and activities indicate that he is not a saint but an exploiter of the naivete of our young for his personal profit.” She explained, “The dangerous misuse of social media cannot be overstated. All parents need to be familiar with these dangers before something terrible or unfortunate occurs to their loved ones.”
