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Orange County Sheriff's Office arrests man after child reveals assaults

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Reyes Rivera-Zapata was arrested on five charges. Photo courtesy of Orange County Sheriff's Office

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on Friday, June 7 after a child disclosed assaults that occurred at a sleepover.

Reyes Rivera-Zapata, age 43, was charged with one count of first degree kidnapping, two counts of first degree statutory sex offense and two counts of indecent liberties with a minor, according to an Orange County Sheriff's Office press release. 

The child, who is 10 years old, told a friend about the abuse, which the child said happened while sleeping over at another friend’s house. The abuse was then reported to a parent, who relayed the information to staff at the child’s school. School staff then notified law enforcement. 

The case’s lead investigator, Zachary Baldwin, said the investigation was administered in a way that aims to minimize trauma for the child.  

“Our agency approaches this type of case with concern for the child as our first priority; we do what is best for him or her,” Baldwin said in the press release. “In this case, that meant I arranged for a Child Medical Exam (CME). A CME helps us minimize the number of times a child is asked to talk about what happened because we know that telling and re-telling about such events causes additional trauma. We want to minimize that as much as possible while still getting the detail needed for successful prosecution if that is what the child and his or her family wants to pursue.”

Rivera-Zapata was booked into the Orange County Detention Center under a $100,000 bond. A bail agent posted his bond, allowing for his release on June 8. 

The pre-trial release program is supervising Rivera-Zapata. He is to have no contact with the child or their parent or guardian, and he cannot be within a one mile radius of their home. 

His next court date in June 24. 

city@dailytarheel.com

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