Hunter
04/25/25
An Iowa City man has been arrested after he allegedly used explicit photos of a juvenile as leverage for her to have sex with him.
According to the criminal complaint, the incidents spanned the dates of February 1st through May 15th 2024. 19-year-old Carlos Lara shared explicit photos with the victim, who in turn shared explicit photos with him. He then allegedly used the possession of the photos to entice her to have sexual relations with him. The photos were then reportedly shared with others and Lara also allegedly sent the photos from his phone to the juvenile’s mother’s phone to, quote,“get her into trouble.”
A known acquaintance of Lara reportedly admitted that he received the photos from Lara through Snapchat.
When interviewed about the incidents, Lara allegedly admitted that he used the photos of the juvenile girl to, quote, “keep her in check.”
Investigators requested a warrant for Lara’s arrest Wednesday; he was taken into custody Thursday morning. He faces Extortion and 1st degree Harassment charges and could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison if convicted on both counts.
A no-contact order was requested between the two parties.