(KIWA Staff Photo)Paullina, Iowa — A Paullina man has been arrested on serious felony sexual abuse of a juvenile charges.
A criminal complaint filed by the Paullina Police Department in district court accuses 33-year-old Fredy Romero Alvarez of Paullina of inappropriate contact with a minor, among other accusations. He was arrested last week.
In his statement, the officer says he believes the two arranged to meet via text message. Romero Alvarez is also accused of sending sexually explicit images of himself to the juvenile and requesting similar images from the juvenile.
Romero Alvarez was charged with:
- Two counts of second-degree sexual abuse, a class B felony
- Two counts of lascivious acts with a child, a class C felony
- Three counts of solicitation of a child, a class D felony
- One count of grooming, also a class D felony
He also faces ten misdemeanor counts of telephone dissemination of obscene material to a minor, four misdemeanor counts of indecent contact with a child, and one misdemeanor count of lascivious conduct with a minor – disrobe.
In Iowa, class B felonies are punishable by up to 25 years in prison, with 10 years for a class C felony, and five years for a class D felony.
If convicted on all counts and ordered to serve the terms consecutively (unusual), Romero Alvarez could face up to 90 years in prison on the felony counts alone.
A preliminary hearing has been set for October 22nd.
At last report, Romero Alvarez remained in the O’Brien County Jail in Primghar. The arresting officer requested he be held without bond as he feels Romero Alvarez is a flight risk. The judge granted the request and ordered him held without bond.
