WEBER COUNTY, Utah – Two people were taken into custody this week after a woman allegedly arranged for a man to have sex with a 14-year-old girl in exchange for money and marijuana.
Det. Jeremy Rock of the Weber County Sheriff’s Office said a teen girl let her younger sister use her phone, and when the sister looked through it she found messages on Facebook indicating a neighbor was messaging a man about having sex with the teen in exchange for money and marijuana.
The younger sister contacted police and showed them the messages, and officers met with 25-year-old Sheena Lorraine Powell and the male she had been messaging, a man police identified as 24-year-old Jacob Scott Pace and said was Powell’s ex-boyfriend.
According to a statement of probable cause, the messages were sent between August 3 and August 4 and the victim went to Powell’s apartment on August 4 to complete the deal. The messages indicated the man would pay $100 cash and a small amount of marijuana for the sexual encounter, though one message suggested a higher price for specific acts.
Police interviewed the teen, who said she was aware of the arrangements. She told police she went to Powell’s apartment and that Powell and Pace engaged in sexual activity in front of her. The teen said Powell encouraged the teen to become involved with the two of them. The victim said that at one point Pace put his hand inside her clothes and penetrated her vagina. The teen said at that point she became uncomfortable and left the room to play with Powell’s infant in another room of the residence.
Court documents state Powell acknowledged the conversation but said the messages were “just talk” and that nothing had happened with the three. She also stated the conversation was between Pace and the victim rather than her.
Pace told police he did have the conversation with Powell and that he had made arrangements to have sex with the teen and Powell in exchange for money and marijuana. Pace said Powell told him, and he believed, the victim was 16. Pace stated he went to the apartment on August 4 with the intent to have sex with both individuals. He denied putting his hand inside the victim’s clothes but admitted to touching her inner thigh. He also denied having sex with Powell in front of the victim.
Powell was booked into jail Monday on charges of forcible sexual abuse of a child and aggravated exploitation of prostitute, according to information from the Weber County Sheriff’s Office.
Pace was booked into jail Tuesday on one charge of forcible sexual abuse and a charge of entice, solicit, seduce, or lure a minor by internet or text.
