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Man accused of sex trafficking after police find missing girl in his Lake Worth motel room

A man is accused of sex trafficking and other felonies after authorities found a missing girl in his Lake Worth motel room last week, police said Tuesday.

Jesse Lee Manuel Jr., 50, was arrested on charges of trafficking of a child to engage in sexual conduct, sexual assault of a child and delivery of a controlled substance to a minor. He did not have an attorney listed in court records.

Lake Worth police said they received a tip Wednesday about the location of a 14-year-old girl who had been reported missing in Dallas on June 5. Officers found the girl in a room with Manuel at the Great Western Inn in the 5900 block of Lake Worth Boulevard.

Manuel was initially detained on suspicion of harboring a runaway, and the girl was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police said she later told authorities that she had been drugged with methamphetamine, sexually assaulted and trafficked.

Authorities were continuing to investigate the case, and police expected additional charges.

Manuel remained in the Tarrant County jail Tuesday, with bail set at $90,000.

In a Facebook video, police Chief J.T. Manoushagian addressed the person whose tip led to Manuel’s arrest: “Thank you. You most likely saved a life.”

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