Santa Cruz County man arrested on suspicion of raping Morgan Hill girl

MORGAN HILL — A 21-year-old Santa Cruz County man has been arrested on suspicion of raping a 12-year-old Morgan Hill girl he met through a social media platform, police said.

The sexual assault was reported Feb. 12, according to the Morgan Hill Police Department.

The victim initially spoke with the suspect through Snapchat, police said, adding that the suspect then arranged to meet the victim and picked her up from her home.

Investigators identified the suspect as a resident of Freedom, a small community next to Watsonville.

On Wednesday, Morgan Hill police detectives obtained a warrant for the suspect’s arrest. Watsonville police officers found the man later that day and took him into custody.

Police said the man was arrested on suspicion of rape of a child, oral copulation with a child, sexual penetration of a child, lewd or lascivious acts with a minor and arranging to meet with a minor for lewd purposes. He was booked into Santa Clara County jail.

In the wake of the incident, police urged parents and guardians “to remain vigilant about their children’s online activity and to speak with them about the potential dangers of communicating with unknown individuals through social media platforms.”

Anyone with information related to the case can contact Detective Sgt. Sean Bayard at 408-607-3032 or sean.bayard@morganhill.ca.gov.