close
close

Murder suspect charged with sexual exploitation in new case

Murder suspect charged with sexual exploitation in new case

Joe Rim, who is charged with second-degree murder in the 2022 death of Stephen Jacobo, was indicted on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Rim was initially arrested a few days after the shooting, but the Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office referred the case back to Mesa Police for further investigation. The 22-year-old was arrested again last January.

The video in the player above includes previous ABC15 coverage of Jacobo’s murder.

According to court documents, the date the alleged murders took place is the same day Rim was arrested on murder charges. Court records say Rim was indicted on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, specifically listed as under 15.

Stephen’s father, Mark Jacobo, spoke to ABC15 several times he pushed for justice for his son. The murder case is still pending and Rim has pleaded not guilty.

ABC15 reached out to the Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office, who confirmed the cases involved the same suspect, but said they could not release additional details.

“We cannot go into detail about how these allegations came about,” MCAO Communication staff said. “We have to maintain the integrity of the case.”

MCAO told ABC15 that each count of sexual exploitation of a minor has a range of 10-24 years and must be served consecutively. That means if Rim were to go to trial and be found guilty on all 10 counts, he could face anywhere from 100 to 240 years, depending on the sentencing decision.