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Bryan Cruz convinced the girl to have sex with him several times between September 2018 and June 2019, by telling her if she didn't, then a picture of her holding a bag of marijuana would be leaked by the "dark web," the New York Post reports citing a probable cause affidavit.
An investigation was launched last month after the teen told police she got a text message in 2018 telling her to get her mom's phone "and we can see what we can do from there," the affidavit says. The girl asked then 22-year-old Cruz what to do, records show.
Cruz told the girl the message was from the "dark web" (also referred to as the "black web") and that she should oblige, and take pictures of herself masturbating in her underwear -- or else the photo of her with the bag of pot would be released, according to the affidavit.
Cruz reportedly told the girl he'd act as the go-between due to "technical difficulties," and send the photos of her to the "dark web." Then, he told her the "dark web" was asking them to have sex and record is as proof, the affidavit said.
And so they did just that -- but Cruz later told the girl they had to do it again because the "dark web" was not satisfied with the quality of the video, the affidavit said. Cruz and the teen had sex multiple times between September 2018 and June 2019, according to the affidavit.
Cruz told Trenton police, however, that all he did was advise the teen to tell her mom about the text she had gotten.
Cruz was charged Sept. 24 with five counts of sex assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, The Post said. A judge ordered Cruz held without bail during a detention hearing last Friday, the New York Post reports.
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