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Former UFC fighter arrested for sexual exploitation of a child

Abel Trujillo, 35, is accused of sending nude photos of himself to girls under age 18.

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — A former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter was arrested after he sent numerous photos of his genitalia to a 16-year-old girl, according to an arrest affidavit from Castle Rock Police.

Abel Trujillo, 35, appeared in court Thursday morning on charges of attempted sexual exploitation of a child and promotion of obscenity to a minor. Both are class 6 felonies.

In October 2018, Castle Rock Police said they were notified that the victim received inappropriate messages through social media from an adult man. That man was later identified that man as Trujillo, according to the affidavit.

Credit: Castle Rock Police
Abel Trujillo

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The girl first had contact with Trujillo in March 2018 when she received a friend request from him on Instagram, the affidavit states. She did not know Trujillo, but told police she accepted the request "because Abel is a celebrity," according to the affidavit.

Not long after she accepted his friend request, she began receiving direct messages and "became uncomfortable with what was being discussed," the affidavit says. Abel also sent her nude photographs of his genitalia, according to the document.

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She deleted all the photos and messages between her and Abel and blocked him on all her social media accounts, the affidavit says. There was no contact between the two for several months, according to the document.

In October 2018, she received another message from Abel, the affidavit says. The victim said she "cleared" her social media accounts and believes that may have lifted the block she put on Abel, according to the affidavit.

During an interview with police that month, the victim told police she chatted with Trujillo on and off for several weeks earlier in the year and "liked the attention because Trujillo was a celebrity," the affidavit says. Then he "began discussing sex" and "sending nude pictures of himself to her," the affidavit says.

She never asked for the nude photos and told him multiple times to stop, according to the affidavit.

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He "never specifically asked for nude images" of the victim, but would regularly ask her for pictures and she "felt he was implying he wanted nudes," the affidavit states.

She blocked him and didn't think much of it until he began messaging her again several months later, according to the affidavit.

Investigators used Trujillo's social media accounts to track him down. Although no photos of his face were sent to the victim, investigators determined "the body style, tattoos and skin tone" were consistent with Trujillo, the affidavit says.

In February 2019, a search warrant was granted for his phone and "dozens of photos of nude young women were located," the affidavit says. At the time the affidavit was written in October, it states "the ages of those females cannot be determined."

When contacted by police, Trujillo eventually acknowledged "he has had multiple conversations with females under the age of 18" and admitted to sending nude photos of his genitalia, according to the affidavit.

Trujillo posted bond and is due back in district court for an arraignment on Sept. 6.

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