GREENE COUNTY, Ind. — A California man has been arrested after he reportedly molested and raped a 12-year-old after meeting the child on the internet, according to a news release from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.
On Sept. 26, 43-year-old Bernardo Tapia was charged with child molesting and rape. Tapia was arrested by Indiana State Police in Elkhart and transported to the Lawrence County Jail.
According to the release, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a missing 12-year-old on Sept. 23. The family told deputies that the child had “met an older male subject on the internet, and had made a plan for him to pick her up.” Not long after the report was made, the release said the child returned home.
The man, later identified as Tapia, reportedly met the child online, picked her up outside her home and took her to a hotel in Bedford. The release said that Tapia is reportedly a registered sex offender from Santa Clara, California.
Court documents stated that Tapia has been charged with the following counts in Lawrence County Court:
- Two counts of rape, each a Level 1 felony
- Two counts of child molesting, each a Level 1 felony
- Two counts of strangulation, each a Level 6 felony
The office is continuing to investigate the incident and more charges could be filed against Tapia, the release said.
Court documents state that Tapia’s pretrial conference is scheduled for Dec. 18 and his jury trial is scheduled to begin on March 26.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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