A 38-year-old man from Pembroke Pines was arrested after attempting to meet with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl for sexual purposes, authorities said. Police identified the suspect as Luis Miguel Manrique, who was taken into custody Tuesday after communicating with an undercover detective posing as a teenage girl during a Miami police operation targeting internet crimes against children, according to NBC Miami.
As per Local 10, Manrique exchanged several explicit messages with an undercover officer and agreed to meet in Miami. Investigators said he also offered to buy a McDonald’s Happy Meal for the individual he believed to be a teenager, which authorities described as an attempt at grooming. After being informed of the purported age, Manrique sent a message indicating he would take care of the teen.
Authorities said the operation underscored ongoing law enforcement efforts to address adults who attempt to exploit minors online. Manrique was arrested after driving to the agreed-upon meeting location, where he was met by detectives rather than the individual he believed to be a teenager. Police said he now faces multiple charges, including use of a computer to solicit or travel to meet a minor and depicting obscene material to a minor…