Snapchat Messages Indicate Sexual Assault Of Girl, 11: Police

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — An 11-year-old Santa Rosa girl was sexually assaulted by a man in his 20s with whom she exchanged thousands of messages with on the social media app Snapchat, police alleged Tuesday. Francisco Aparicio Cortes was arrested on suspicion of the sex crime against a minor Dec. 29 and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at a Sonoma County jail, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Terry Anderson said in a news release.

According to Anderson, Cortes was initially taken into custody Dec. 21 after a Santa Rosa resident called police at about 2:30 a.m. to report seeing a man in his backyard, shining a flashlight into his 11-year-old daughter's bedroom. Officers were dispatched to the home and as they arrived, saw a car being driven without its headlights on. The officers made contact with the driver and the girl's father identified him as the person he saw in his backyard, the sergeant said.

Because the incident involved a misdemeanor crime not witnessed by police, the father made a citizen's arrest. Based on the circumstances, the arrest was accepted by police and Cortes was booked into jail on suspicion of peeping, Anderson said.

The girl's father went to the Santa Rosa Police Department the following day and told police that after reviewing his daughter's Snapchat account, he believed Cortes may have sexually assaulted her.

"... His daughter had set up [Snapchat] on a family member's cellphone," Anderson said. "The information found on the application showed Cortes and the 11-year-old had exchanged thousands of messages, some of which were sexual in nature."

A detective with the department's Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault unit was subsequently assigned to investigate the matter.

As Cortes arrived at the police station Dec. 29 to recover his vehicle, which was towed when he was arrested for the alleged peeping, the detective was notified and proceeded to place Cortes under arrest on suspicion of aggravated sexual assault of a minor.

Police are still investigating the case and Cortes in general.

"He is either 24 or 28 years old, and has provided different dates of birth during various interactions with law enforcement in California," Anderson explained. "Although he had been residing in Santa Rosa, at the time of his arrest he claimed to be living in Clearlake, CA."

Cortes was due to appear in court Wednesday and again on Jan. 18, according to Sonoma County jail records.

Anyone with information regarding Cortes or the investigation is urged to call the Santa Rosa Police Department's DVSA tip line at 707-543-4040. Police say those wishing to provide information in the case should use only that number.

Booking photo courtesy Santa Rosa Police Department