WORST KIND OF BAD

Crisis Center Operator Stalked, Sent Teen Explicit Photos

The 32-year-old Tampa man was arrested after answering a crisis call from the teen, then followed her on social media and sent her lewd photos.

A crisis center operator in Tampa who answered a distress call from a teenage girl has been arrested after stalking her and sending her illicit photos, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office. The 32-year-old man, who went by William on the call line but who was Christopher Augusto Laracuente Cotto in real life, spoke to the teen for an hour on a recorded line. Authorities say he then reached out to her on a personal line, followed her social media, sent her videos and tried to get her to send nude photos of herself, which she declined to do. The girl reported the incident to her school who reported it to the sheriff. The man also worked as a volunteer and a worship leader in the community. The Sheriff’s Office said when detectives questioned Laracuente Cotto, he confessed. He was arrested and booked into a Hillsborough County jail Thursday. He faces charges of transmission of harmful material to a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communications device, according to jail records. The Crisis Center said Laracuente Cotto had “passed both his local law enforcement and Level 2 background checks” and said it was reviewing its procedures and policies in an effort to prevent similar incidents.