Eliezer Soto, 26, faces charges for traveling to meet a minor after allegedly being invited to the home through sexually explicit social media conversations.
PINELAS PARK, Fla. — A 26-year-old man was arrested Sunday afternoon after he was found hiding, partially undressed, in the bedroom closet of a 16-year-old girl, concluding a disturbing chain of events that began on social media.
According to the Pinellas Park Police Department, officers were dispatched to a residence on the 6900 block of Cedar Ridge Drive at approximately 4:20 p.m. on September 7, 2025, after a witness reported seeing a man enter the home through a bedroom window.
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Upon arrival, officers made contact with the homeowners, who were unaware that an intruder was inside. A search of the home led officers to the bedroom of the family’s 16-year-old daughter, where they discovered Eliezer Soto of Pinellas Park hiding inside a closet.
Police noted that Soto was partially undressed at the time of his discovery and arrest.
The initial investigation revealed that the teenage victim and Soto had been communicating through various social networking applications. Detectives confirmed that their conversations were explicitly sexual in nature.
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Authorities state that Soto traveled to the residence after being invited by the minor. He was taken into custody without incident and has been charged with Traveling to Meet a Minor and Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor. He was transported and booked into the Pinellas County Jail
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