A 25-year-old Illinois man, Alejandro Tellez, has been arrested and charged with multiple offenses after allegedly having sex with a 12-year-old girl from Portage, Indiana, and receiving explicit images from her. Tellez is now in custody at the Porter County Jail, according to records.
The arrest of Tellez came to light during an investigation into another Illinois man, Joe Benavente, who is also accused of molesting the same Portage girl. Benavente is currently being held at the Porter County Jail on four counts of child molesting.
The Portage police discovered Tellez’s involvement after searching the girl’s cellphone in connection with the case against Benavente. They found saved messages on her Snapchat account, which contained explicit images and conversations dating back to July.
The explicit messages allegedly included orders for the girl to perform various sexual acts on video and in photographs. The conversations also revealed that Tellez was aware that the girl was underage, although she claimed to be 14 at the time.
In September, Tellez reportedly traveled to Portage and had sex with the girl. She admitted to meeting him while her mother was asleep and walking back home afterward. Police traced Tellez’s Snapchat account to him, and the girl positively identified him in a photo lineup.
Benavente, on the other hand, is accused of using Snapchat to communicate with the girl and arranging two separate meetings in Portage for sexual encounters. The girl had initially lied about her age, claiming to be 14, out of fear that her true age would make her seem too young. Benavente is facing a potential prison term of 20 to 40 years for each of the four counts of child molesting.
Both Tellez and Benavente’s cases highlight the danger posed to minors by online predators. The investigation serves as a reminder of the importance of parents being vigilant about their children’s online activities and educating them about the risks associated with communicating with strangers on the internet.
The Porter County Sheriff’s Office and Portage Police Department worked together to make the arrests and ensure the safety of the victim. As the legal proceedings progress, authorities will continue to prioritize the protection of children from such crimes.
Note: This article has been written based on provided details and does not contain any explicit notes about adherence to guidelines or word count.
