LAWRENCE CO. – A California man is currently in custody at the Lawrence County Jail, facing serious charges related to the alleged sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl from Greene County.
Bernardo R. Tapia, 43, a registered sex offender from Santa Clara, California, has been charged with multiple offenses including:
- Two counts of rape
- Two counts of child molesting
- Two counts of strangulation
According to authorities, Tapia allegedly met the victim on the internet and took her to a motel in Lawrence County, where the offenses are said to have occurred.
Tapia is being held on a $400,500 bond. The case is proceeding through the legal system, with a public defender appointed to represent Tapia during an October 1 court hearing. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for December 18.
According to a news release from the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, a missing-person report was received from the 12-year-old’s family on September 23. They told police they learned she had connected with an older male on the internet, and plans had been made via Snapchat for the man to pick the girl up at her residence.
Police alleged Tapia took the girl to a Bedford motel and raped her. The girl returned home the same day she went missing.
Three days later, Indiana State Police located Tapia in Elkhart and took him into custody.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent unless convicted through due legal proceedings. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
