Man admits sexually assaulting girl, 12, after luring her to Riverside park via social media
Anthony Eduardo Lozano, 22, pleaded guilty to unlawful intercourse with a minor and lewd acts on a child. Sentencing is set for 17 September at Riverside Hall of Justice.
Riverside man pleads guilty to child sex assault after social media grooming
A 22-year-old Riverside man has admitted sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl after using social media to persuade her to meet him in person, mynewsla.com reports.
Anthony Eduardo Lozano entered guilty pleas on Wednesday to one count of unlawful intercourse with a minor and two counts of forcible lewd acts on a child under the age of 14. The admissions were made before Superior Court Judge Gary Polk under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, which agreed to drop 14 related charges in exchange.
The case was called for a preliminary hearing when the plea deal was announced. Judge Polk has scheduled a sentencing hearing for 17 September at the Riverside Hall of Justice. The proposed term of imprisonment was not disclosed.
Lozano is currently held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
According to the Riverside Police Department, Lozano made contact with the Los Angeles girl in April 2024, communicating with her — possibly via social media — before persuading her to travel to Riverside. He arranged a ride-share service to collect the girl from her home and transport her to Rutland Park.
"The suspect met the victim and sexually abused her," a police statement said, without disclosing specific details.
The girl returned home after the attack and reported it to Los Angeles police. The subsequent investigation, which ran for several months, was ultimately transferred to the Riverside Police Department's Sexual Assault-Child Abuse Unit.
Detectives gathered sufficient evidence to obtain an arrest warrant, and Lozano was taken into custody without incident at his home on Randolph Street in August 2024. He had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
Source: The Sun