Muleshoe man pleads guilty to child sex crime against Kansas teen charged with attempted murder

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - A Muleshoe man has pleaded guilty to the transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct. Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant, Jr. accepted the guilty plea on Monday.

According to the federal court documents on this case, Marcos Jacobo Morales-Jose was 24 years old, and “Jane Doe” was 14 years old. At the time of the offense, Morales-Jose was a citizen of Guatemala living in the United States as a legal permanent resident.

Documents show on January 20, 2022, the Muleshoe Police Department was contacted by the Dodge City Police Department in Dodge City, Kansas, requesting assistance locating a reported “runaway” 14-year-old female. On or about January 10, 2022, Doe was reported missing from Dodge City, Kansas, and Dodge City Police located a possible address for her in Muleshoe. At the time, Doe had a pending charge of attempted murder out of Dodge City, Kansas, and was on release wearing an ankle monitor. It was believed that Doe cut off her ankle monitor to run off with an adult male, and a warrant was issued for Doe’s arrest.

That day, Muleshoe police went to the address they believed the child was staying at. They found Doe living at the house with Morales-Jose. They were both taken into custody.

The child told police she met Morales-Jose in Kansas in September 2021. She said he initiated contact with her and they communicated through Facebook. She said she told Morales-Jose she was only 14 years old. He initially told her he was 20 years old, but later admitted he was actually 24. The child said their relationship became sexual in September 2021 and she became pregnant in late December 2021.

Morales-Jose admitted to helping the child leave Kansas in January 2022 to continue his relationship with her.

As of this report, Marcos Jacobo Morales-Jose’s mugshot was not available. He is currently being held in the Bailey County Jail.