ACSO sting ends in lewd conduct charge for Caldwell man

Ada County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 41-year-old Caldwell man whom they say tried to use Craigslist to lure a woman and her pre-teen daughter into having sex.

Juan Salinas Jr. was unaware he was talking to a detective, the Ada County Sheriff's Office reported Thursday. Salinas is charged with attempted lewd conduct.

Deputies arrested Salinas early Wednesday evening in the parking lot of a Meridian hotel where he had reportedly made arrangements to meet the mother and girl.

Detectives began their investigation in December after they answered a post on Craigslist. Salinas and a detective exchanged explicit messages over several weeks, the ACSO reports.

Attempted lewd conduct is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The Ada County Sheriff¹s detective in charge of the case works with the Idaho Crimes Against Children Task Force, a statewide coalition of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies focused on apprehending and prosecuting people who use the internet to criminally exploit children.

This story was originally published January 21, 2016 at 7:48 PM with the headline "ACSO sting ends in lewd conduct charge for Caldwell man."