A 31-year-old Arizona woman is facing felony charges after police investigated allegations that she developed an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old coworker at a Gold Canyon restaurant.
Quinn Brinkley was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of luring a minor for sexual exploitation and furnishing obscene material to a minor, according to Mesa police and court documents. Brinkley and the teenager worked together at a sushi restaurant in Gold Canyon, about 40 miles east of Phoenix.
Investigators say the relationship began with conversations at work before moving to electronic messages and physical encounters. Court records indicate the teenager told Brinkley he was underage, while other coworkers also reminded her of his age. The boy’s mother eventually went to the restaurant to confront Brinkley, according to the documents.
Police also reviewed messages in which Brinkley allegedly acknowledged the risks of their relationship and sent photographs of herself to the teenager. In one April exchange, investigators say she discussed the possibility of the two leaving for Colorado together in about a year and a half, which would have been around the time the teenager turned 18.
The case was transferred from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office to Mesa police because investigators determined the alleged crimes occurred within Mesa’s jurisdiction. Brinkley’s bond was set at $75,000.
