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Rhode Island man charged with arranging to meet 12-year-old Palmdale girl for sex

by The AV Times Staff • October 2, 2015

LANCASTER – A Rhode Island man who allegedly arranged to meet a 12-year-old Palmdale girl for a sexual encounter was ordered Friday to be jailed on $140,000 bail.

Superior Court Judge Richard Naranjo agreed to the prosecution’s request to increase Joel Rivera‘s bail from $100,000 and ordered him to be taken into custody.

Rivera, 18, is set to be arraigned Nov. 9 in a Lancaster courtroom on one count each of meeting a minor for lewd purposes, distributing or showing pornography to a minor, distributing or showing child or youth pornography to a minor, contact with a minor for sexual offense and arranging to meet a minor for lewd purposes.

Prosecutors allege that Rivera began contacting a 12-year-old Palmdale girl through an anonymous webcham chatting app in August — just after he turned 18 – – and exchanging sexually explicit images with the child through various messaging apps, according to Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami.

The girl’s mother contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department after becoming aware that Rivera planned to fly from Rhode Island to allegedly have sex with her daughter, the prosecutor said

Rivera was arrested at Burbank Bob Hope Airport on Sept. 3 and freed the following day after a $100,000 bond was posted on his behalf.

If convicted as charged, Rivera could face up to eight years in state prison, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Special Victims Bureau.

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

11 comments for "Rhode Island man charged with arranging to meet 12-year-old Palmdale girl for sex"

  1. Jenn says

    October 26, 2015 at 7:58 am

    It is obvious these laws that were intended to punish offenders and true child predators often will pull an unintended case into the system. The law should reflect intolerance for offenders age 21 and over and reflect a more education/therapy focused approach for younger offenders. This would help distinguish those situations where kids are only separated by a few years of becoming adults yet arent fully comprehensive of the criminal intent and nature of the predators who commit these crimes.

  2. LindaS says

    October 6, 2015 at 12:14 pm

    So … the mom was okay with her daughter being on an “anonymous webcham app in August”? I’ll just leave it at that.

  3. Hold Up? says

    October 6, 2015 at 11:10 am

    Ok so she may be 12 but did he know she is 12? How long was this carrying on for? Far too many questions to be answered before sending a young man to jail.

  4. bob says

    October 4, 2015 at 7:07 pm

    Sex offender in Rhode Island? Big surprise.

  5. Mars says

    October 4, 2015 at 9:52 am

    I have 9, 15 & 23 year old daughters. I also have boys range ages from 11 all the way to 20’s. 1) The parent obviously was watching what daughter was doing because they caught this boy 2) The 18 yr old should know better 3) What content was sent by the girl or maybe the mother to make this 18 yr old follow through on meeting this 12yr old 4) Girls are more advanced then boys at certain stages..At 18 its possible he may have a lapse in judgement and I don’t believe he should be in jail for adults. It should have been juvenile hall. 5) 6 yrs are difference in are. 6) What is this girl doing having sexual relations over the internet back and forth. 7) meeting up with this 18 in the 1st place. 8) What do you think?..
    Have this 18 do some classes and the girl as well include what can happen to persons that get caught up in situations like these also show all the missing persons

    • Trust says

      October 5, 2015 at 7:25 pm

      I think the previous commenter was suggesting that the girl should be arrested and sent to juvenile hall. Not the 18 year old. He’s going to prison.

      • Hold up says

        October 6, 2015 at 11:14 am

        So you would condemn a barely 18 yrld to jail without knowing the details of any of the communication between them? So if this girl lied about her age and carried on with him it is completely his fault? NO! These laws must take into account the actions of BOTH, possible three – the mother-, parties involved. What are the details.

  6. Mary says

    October 3, 2015 at 8:43 am

    I hope there will come a day when these kids who do this are sentenced to Juvenile Hall

    No excuse for either

    Too much education on this subject to be a victim

    Both need help

    Hopefully mom took her phone – she shouldn’t own one, nor should he

  7. Mike C says

    October 3, 2015 at 5:12 am

    18 years old and locked up in Los Angeles County Jail for trying to hook up with and have sex with a twelve year old girl. I can’t imagine what this guy was thinking. And what they will do to him in LA County jail if they get ahold of him. I feel for his family back in Rhode Island but not this guy.

    • Johnny Trece says

      October 5, 2015 at 9:45 pm

      He bailed out.

  8. tg says

    October 2, 2015 at 5:28 pm

    Wow… She is to young to have a phone in the first place… Is the parents responsibility to keep on eye on their own kids… Now in day this kids tell parents what to do…

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