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North Las Vegas man charged with criminal sexual abuse, traveling to meet 12-year-old Harvard girl

An 18-year-old North Las Vegas man was charged Wednesday with traveling to Harvard to meet a 12-year-old girl he met online, Harvard police said Thursday.

Leonel E. Rivas-Martinez, 18, of 1800 McCarran St., North Las Vegas, Nevada, was also charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, one count of grooming, and one count of solicitation to meet a child, according to a news release.

He is accused in a five-count criminal complaint of kissing the girl and having inappropriate contact with her on May 3.

The arrest came after Harvard police responded at 4:33 p.m. Wednesday to the Baymont Inn, 1701 S. Division St., for a disturbance in the parking lot, according to the release.

After officers arrived, they determined that Rivas-Martinez had begun a “dating relationship” with the 12-year-old Harvard girl via social media platforms Omelge and Snapchat, court records show.

It was through those same platforms that Rivas-Martinez allegedly convinced the girl to meet up with him in person, prompting him to travel from North Las Vegas to Harvard to see her, according to the release. A 30-year-old male relative of the girl found out, went to the hotel, confronted Rivas-Martinez there and called the police.

Rivas-Martinez was taken to the McHenry Count Jail where bond was set at $5,000, according to jail records.

Source: The Daily Chronicle

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