A Dorchester man is facing a federal charge of attempted sex trafficking of a minor, after police said they found a 14-year-old girl with no pants on in his bed back in June, federal prosecutors alleged Wednesday.
Carlos Lopez, who is 27, is being held pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for Oct. 5 in federal court in Boston.
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Police responded on June 1 to a 911 call, and charging documents said that officers found a 14-year-old girl partially undressed and heavily intoxicated in Lopez's bed. Lopez was said to be next to her on the bed, fully clothed. When the teen left the bedroom, Lopez allegedly barricaded himself in his room for around 20 minutes.
Police found several empty beer bottles in the room when they were able to get inside, as well as female pants and underwear near Lopez's bed, prosecutors said. Authorities added that the victim told police on scene that she didn't know who took her pants off or when it happened, and that she woke up with them off.
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Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.
Prosecutors said that Lopez allegedly indicated that he was introduced to the girl so that he could have sex with her; reportedly having agreed to pay $100 for the act. He also allegedly indicated that he did not complete any sex act before police arrived.
An investigation reportedly showed that Lopez gave the girl a number of alcoholic drinks, before bringing her to his room and offering her money for sex.
If found guilty, attempted sex trafficking of a minor carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
