Florida man sentenced for sexually exploiting Arizona boys online
Jan 27, 2025, 11:10 AM | Updated: 11:12 am
PHOENIX – A Florida man was sentenced last week to over three decades in prison for exploiting children in the Phoenix area through online gaming and social media platforms, authorities announced Monday.
Jacob Lozano, 24, received a 32-year sentence on Friday after previously pleading guilty on two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of attempt to commit aggravated luring of a minor.
Fifteen other charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal.
The sentence was handed down a year after Lozano was taken into custody at his Arcadia, Florida, home on an arrest warrant issued in Maricopa County. He was eventually extradited to Arizona to be prosecuted.
When did Arizona authorities start investigating Florida man?
The Scottsdale Police Department opened an investigation in November 2023 after an 11-year-old boy’s mother found sexually explicit images and messages on his cellphone.
Police learned that the Florida man sent the messages after meeting the boy while playing Fortnite. During the investigation, Lozano sent explicit images of himself and child sexual abuse material to an undercover detective who was posing as the boy, prosecutors said.
Investigators also identified two other victims from the Phoenix area whom Lozano messaged through Discord and coerced into sexual activity over a webcam.
“Jacob Lozano found a child’s online playground and used it as a means for his own gratification,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a press release. “I commend the parent in this case who was paying close attention. She saw what her son was receiving through his online gaming and called law enforcement. That’s the kind of vigilance that pays off for her child and children everywhere.”