BENTONVILLE, Ark. — A Kansas man was arrested on Jan. 12, in Bentonville during an internet sting operation, according to the Bentonville Police Department (BPD).
The man is identified as Luis Vincente Bello. He is facing charges of rape, internet stalking of a child, and criminal conspiracy charges, according to court documents.
According to BPD, Bello had been exchanging messages on a social networking app with an undercover investigator posing as a minor. Those messages included sexual approaches, requests to see photos, and requests to meet up.
Court documents reveal the first sexual approach happened on Jan. 11 when Bello asked who he believed to be the minor, "Wanna f***?" The undercover investigator posing as a minor responded "Are you going to come to me..." Bello then responded saying he had sent the message to the wrong person and asking "Besides aren't you a little young? Or is an older man something you want to try?" court documents show.
BPD said Bello soon started making plans to pick up who he thought was a minor living in Bentonville, for sex. He then asked to communicate through text to which the investigator posing as a minor, agreed. Court documents said the initial plan was to meet at a hotel but then Bello set up a plan to pick up who he thought was a minor in Bentonville and return to "his place" in Kansas City, over three hours away.
The situation deepens as Bellos asks the supposed minor if they were on birth control and that he planned on buying a "Plan B" pill, an emergency contraceptive, according to court documents. He then asked for an address and provided an estimated time of arrival. By this time, investigators responded to the area.
When Bello arrived at the address, he texted the supposed minor "I'm here." When the investigator posing as a minor tried to confirm the vehicle Bello was in, he asked the minor to "step out" and then "began to leave," according to investigators. Officials then stopped Bello's vehicle and arrested him. BPD said during the arrest, Bello said "You guys would believe if I..." stopped talking, then said, "Never mind I need a lawyer."
Bello was taken to Benton County Jail and is being held on a $750,000 bond.
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