By Veronica Miller
WOODLAND, CA – Judge David Rosenberg ruled a sex crimes case should go to trial after the preliminary hearing of Alejandro Sotelo this week in Yolo County Superior Court.
Sotelo is currently being charged with 16 different felony charges and a misdemeanor charge. Charges include felony oral copulation with a person under 18 years old, felony sexual penetration with someone under 18, felony sexual contact with a minor, felony preventing a victim from reporting, felony possession of a controlled substance for sale, furnishing a minor with marijuana, and possession of ammunition.
According to the prosecution, Sotelo had offered the victim marijuana in exchange for sexual acts as a form of payment. At the time Sotelo said he did not know that the victim was 16—though after it being revealed through a conversation on Instagram, Sotelo still continued to engage in sexual acts with the minor.
These sexual acts allegedly would often take place in Sotelo’s makeshift bedroom in his parent’s garage.
Sotelo had also sent the victim lewd photos of himself. The victim had taken screenshots of the pictures and the conversations that happened at the time of the pictures, due to Sotelo asking for her to delete evidence that she had gotten them.
Using these pictures Deputy District Attorney Gary Richter was able to confirm that it was Sotelo in the pictures, using previous jail booking photos of Sotelo.
When the victim told Sotelo that she was going to come forward and tell the police about what had been happening, Sotelo threatened that he would kill himself because he would have nothing left.
Deputy Public Defender James Bradford questioned the time in which Sotelo would have found out that the victim was 16.
DDA Richter was not able to give a clear time in which Sotelo would have found out, but he stated the victim had reported that there were continued sexual acts.
Sotelo is set to appear back in court on July 21 for an arraignment prior to the setting of a trial.
