SAN BRUNO, CA — A 21-year-old San Bruno man was arrested after prosecutors said he contacted a 12-year-old girl on Instagram, convinced her to meet him and sexually assaulted her.
Gael Barajashernandez initiated a conversation with the girl in May and asked her age, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.
Although the girl told him she was 13, prosecutors said Barajashernandez continued communicating with her through Instagram and text messages, including conversations involving sexually explicit matters.
Prosecutors claimed Barajashernandez convinced the girl to sneak out and meet him at her middle school. He also told her to disable the location feature on her phone, the district attorney's office stated.
According to prosecutors, Barajashernandez took explicit photographs of the girl and sexually assaulted her.
The girl's aunt became suspicious and found the messages, prosecutors said.
Barajashernandez agreed to meet with the girl again May 27, when he was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, according to prosecutors.
He remains in custody and is facing a preliminary hearing. His bail was set at $200,000.
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