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Renato Oliva Garcia, age 22, of Mastic Beach, was indicted on Thursday, April 1, for meeting a teen on Snapchat and then taking her to his home where she was allegedly raped, authorities said.
“This is a very concerning trend law enforcement is seeing where alleged predators are able to communicate with minors through social media and gain their trust before convincing them to meet in person,” Suffolk County District Attorney Sini said.
Garcia was arrested on Wednesday, March 17, for the incident which took place two days earlier.
The investigation revealed that Garcia had allegedly interacted with the victim on Snapchat for several weeks before setting up an in-person meeting with her.
On one occasion in early March, Garcia allegedly picked up the victim outside of her home, took her back to his home, and then dropped her off at school.
On Monday, March 15, Garcia allegedly picked the victim up near her home and brought her back to his residence where he subjected her to sexual conduct, the DA's office said.
Garcia was charged with:
- Two counts of rape
- Sexual abuse of a child
- Endangering the welfare of a child
He is being held on a $50,000 cash, $100,000 bond, or $150,000 partially-secured bond.
If convicted of the top count, Garcia faces a maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prison.
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