Midvalley man arrested for alleged sexual assault on 13-year-old girl

A 19-year-old Carbondale man was arrested Wednesday for alleged sexual encounters with a 13-year-old girl after contacts via social media, according to the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office.

Jose E. Argueta Romero was booked into the Eagle County Jail on charges of sexual assault on a child, a Class IV felony. He is being held on $100,000 bond, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Romero allegedly contacted the 13-year-old midvalley girl on social media and “began to gain her trust by complimenting the young girl on how pretty she was,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “When this encounter grew, Romero met with the young girl in person and eventually had multiple sexual encounters in his car out front of the minor’s house.”

School officials became concerned about the girl’s well-being when she missed several days of school. They were concerned she might be pregnant and reported the relationship to Child Protective Services, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office was notified and started an investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office is stressing the importance of monitoring children and their use of social media.