Lower Burrell man accused of exchanging nicotine vape cartridge for sex with 15-year-old faces felony charge

Lower Burrell police accused a man of having sex with a 15-year-old in exchange for a nicotine vape cartridge last year and trying to do the same thing with a 14-year-old a month earlier.

Dylan Michael Jacobs, 20, of the 100 block of Reed Street in Lower Burrell was charged with a felony count of recruiting or trafficking people for sex along with counts of corruption of minors and illegal sale of a tobacco product in connection with an alleged incident at his home in early September, according to a criminal complaint.

Police accused Jacobs of trying to have sex with a 14-year-old at their home Aug. 1 in exchange for a nicotine vape cartridge, but they rebuffed his advances, according to a separate criminal complaint.

He was charged with two misdemeanor counts of indecent assault and a count of illegal sale of a tobacco product in connection with that incident.

Jacobs was charged Tuesday and released from custody on a $25,000 unsecured bond to await a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 15 before District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec.

Police wrote in the two criminal complaints filed against Jacobs that they began investigating him March 29 after receiving a state ChildLine report about the incidents.

Investigators said a forensic interview was conducted with the older teen in mid-April. The teen told police that Jacobs arranged for the teen to come to his home Sept. 1 for a nicotine vape pod because they were too young to buy one at a store.

The teen told police they did not have money to pay for the item so Jacobs said they could “pay in another way,” the complaint said.

A forensic interview was conducted with the second teen May 26, police said. The teen told investigators that Jacobs came to their house in late summer 2022 to drop off a nicotine vape cartridge, according to a criminal complaint.

The teen told police they rebuffed Jacobs’ repeated attempts to kiss them and asked him to leave, but he grabbed them by the waist and buttocks and pulled them toward him, the complaint said.

Jacobs left when the teen told him that their mother was about to arrive home and was likely just around the corner, police said.

Investigators said they questioned Jacobs about both alleged incidents in early April and again in late May.

He denied engaging in any sexual activity with the teens, police said.

Jacobs told police that the first teen who accused him had never been to his home, the complaint said. He also told them he had never been to the home of his second accuser, police said.

State police also interviewed Jacobs on July 11 before he was scheduled to undergo a polygraph test, the complaints said.

During questioning, police said, Jacobs admitted he had sex with the 15-year-old in exchange for the vape cartridge.

Police said Jacobs also admitted to the trooper that he tried to kiss the second teen who accused him but left their house when they told him to stop.