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, has been charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Rim was originally arrested a few days after the shooting, but the Maricopa County District Attorney's Office sent the case back to Mesa police for further investigation. The 22-year-old was finally 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 crimes were committed is the same date Rim was arrested for murder. According to court records, Rim was charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, with her age specifically listed as under 15 years old.

Stephen's father, Mark Jacobo, has spoken to ABC15 several times as he advocates for justice for his son. The murder case is still going through the courts and Rim has pleaded not guilty.

ABC15 reached out to the Maricopa County District Attorney's Office, who confirmed the cases involved the same suspect but could not provide further details.

“We cannot elaborate on how these allegations came about,” MCAO Communication officials 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 to 24 years and must be served consecutively. This means that if Rim were tried and found guilty on all ten counts, he could face 100 to 240 years, depending on the verdict.