The shocking case of a Florida psychologist who has been accused of sex trafficking a 15-year-old girl has taken an even darker turn as investigators have uncovered more disturbing details related to the horrifying incident.
Miami-Dade police have arrested a third suspect in the investigation involving a mental health professional charged with trafficking a teenager at a hotel in Kendall.
Hermes Mejiaa, a 29-year-old resident of southwest Miami-Dade, joins 45-year-old psychologist Maria Ximena Duarte and her 46-year-old boyfriend, Jason Mojica as the third person to now face charges.
Mejia was put into custody Thursday and faces charges of lewd and lascivious battery and lewd and lascivious exhibition on a child, according to Local10.
Duarte allegedly met the 15-year-old victim at the Aloft Miami Dadeland hotel on August 13th while the girl was walking her dog.
Duarte allegedly "quickly gain[ed] her trust" by telling the victim she was a psychologist, said police.
"The victim grew comfortable with (Duarte) and confided in her about issues in her personal life and was told that they had shared life experiences," the police report read, according to WPLG-TV. "During the conversation, (she) offered the victim a marijuana cigarette to smoke (and) also bought alcoholic beverages from the hotel's bar and offered them to the victim, but the victim declined."
The girl returned to Duarte's hotel room the next day and the suspect sent pictures of the victim to a man named Pablo, stating she "was 21 years old and willing to have sex with him," alleged police.
Pablo arrived at the hotel and subsequently had sex with Duarte, who forced the teen to record the pair "while telling the victim that she was teaching her."
Duarte's boyfriend, Jason, later showed up, and she allegedly encouraged the victim to have sex with him. The girl declined.
Duarte allegedly offered to "exchange sex for drugs to satisfy her (the girl's) drug addictions" and "would continuously offer the victim marijuana in order to have her return and engage in various activities while at the hotel with (her)," police stated in the report, according to the outlet.
Citing Florida Department of Health records, Duarte appears to have a "clear/inactive" psychologist license, meaning she does not have the authority to practice psychology in the state, but has a license, according to WPLG.
