Concord police: Man convinced 11-year-old she was his girlfriend

A 23-year-old man is facing child molestation charges after police say he convinced a preteen girl they were dating.

MARTINEZ — A 23-year-old Concord resident is facing charges of sexually abusing a child, after he convinced an 11-year-old girl that they were dating, according to authorities.

Leobardo Gutierrez-Vega faces four counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child, according to court records. The charges were filed in late May, and a preliminary hearing has been set for mid-August.

According to recently released court records, the girl’s mother contacted police after Gutierrez-Vega tried to friend the girl on Facebook. Police determined the two had met in person, and that there had been kissing and inappropriate touching.

This newspaper is not disclosing where the alleged crimes took place, nor how the two met, to protect the girl’s identity.

Investigators determined that after Gutierrez-Vega suspected police were onto him, he told the girl to delete text message conversations they’d had from her phone. Police followed him and arrested him as he drove through Concord, according to court records.

Gutierrez-Vega pleaded not guilty to the charges. At his preliminary hearing, a judge will review the evidence and determine whether the charges should stick.