By Patricia Demchak
An HIV-positive Forest Hills man accused of flying to Florida to have sex with a 15-year-old girl he met over the Internet was released on $500,000 bail last week and will face charges in federal court in Florida, authorities said.
Jose “Joe” Blas, 35, of 113-11 76th Rd., was expected to be extradicted to Tampa, Fla. sometime this week to be arraigned on charges of enticing a minor to engage in sexual acts, said U.S. Assistant Attorney Noah Perlman.
At the defendant’s bail hearing at U.S. District Court in Brooklyn last week, Perlman recommended that Florida state prosecutors also look into the possibility of pursuing attempted murder charges because Blas knew he was HIV-positive when he had sex with the girl. Court papers did not reveal the identity of the victim or whether she had been tested for the disease.
Although Blas has no prior criminal record, he has been placed under 24-hour guarded house arrest since last week’s hearing and forbidden any computer use or contact with any children other than his own, according to the terms of his bail. Blas, a software developer for TIAA-Cref with a $100,000 yearly salary, has one son and is separated from his wife.
According to testimony by an FBI agent, the victim told investigators she met Blas in an online chat room sometime during the summer of 2001 and told him she was 15. On Dec. 7, airline records show Blas flew to Tampa, the agent said. Blas then allegedly picked the victim up at her home on Dec. 8 and drove her to a La Quinta hotel in Pinellas, Fla., to have sex. Authorities said the hotel’s records indicate Blas registered there on Dec. 8.
Local police alerted federal task force agents to a report of sexual battery Dec. 17, and two days later the victim’s family provided authorities with e-mail printouts in which the two allegedly discuss plans by Blas to travel to Florida, his intention to have sex with the girl when he arrived, and his actual trip to Florida, the FBI agent said.
Blas was arrested on April 11 after FBI agents searched his apartment and found, among other evidence, a piece of paper that listed the name of the victim and the address of the Las Pinellas La Quinta, the agent testified. She said agents confiscated his computer and other possible sources of evidence.
Once in custody, Blas advised the court he was in need of medical attention because he is HIV-positive, court records show.
Reach contributing writer Patricia Demchak by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 154..
