A Point Loma man pleaded guilty Jan. 13 to human trafficking, oral copulation by threat and sexual battery in connection with his posing as a modeling agent to young women. Maverick Mendez Rosales, 24, has agreed to accept a prison term of 11 years and four months, said Deputy District Attorney Martin Doyle. The human trafficking victim was a minor. Sentencing was scheduled for Feb. 17 by San Diego Superior Court Judge Dan Link. Rosales remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility without bail. Other charges of extortion, rape and digital penetration were dismissed. The Jan. 26 preliminary hearing was canceled. Rosales pretended to be a modeling agent by the name of Michael and persuaded young women to take their photographs for his nonexistent modeling agency. He took nude photos of one woman and then extorted $3,000 from her by threatening to publish the photos on the Internet. Rosales advertised online on Craigslist. He met two victims at Starbucks restaurants in La Jolla and Chula Vista, according to court records. He had sex with several women who didn’t have the money to pay extortion demands. He was arrested July 31 last year.
— Neal Putnam