Man Charged with Luring Teens on Myspace

  By T.J. Alexander

June 2, 2007 (WPVI) -- A West Philadelphia man was arrested Friday night and is now facing charges after luring a group of teens to his home by posing as a woman on Myspace.

Friday night around 9:30 p.m. a group of teenage boys went to an apartment in the 42-hundred block of Chestnut Street to meet who they thought was a girl whom one of the boys met on Myspace. The girl's name was Jasmine, and she promised sexual favors to the teen.

The teen and his friends arrived at the apartment to find that Jasmine was really a 28-year-old man posing as a woman online.

The teens left the apartment and immediately contacted authorities who in turn arrested the man. The suspect was apprehended while wearing a wig, which was taken into evidence.

Jasmine's real name is Jerome Booker. Originally from New Orleans, Booker was placed in Philadelphia nearly two years ago by FEMA after Hurricane Katrina.

Booker is being charged with 3 counts of attempted sexual assault, corrupting a minor and luring a child.

Special victims investigators are now pressing to get a warrant to review Bookers Myspace account and activity to see if there are any other possible victims he has lured through the same alleged strategy.

(Copyright 2007 by Action News and 6abc. All Rights Reserved.)

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