Charges Held Against Accused Child Predator Following Lengthy Prelim Hearing

Ashley Paskill•

Following a highly contested, two-hour preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine on Thursday, all charges against 18-year-old Juan Pablo Zumba-Castro were held over for formal arraignment at county court in April.

Zumba-Castro, of Towamencin, is charged with two felony counts of rape of a child, along with single felony counts of unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of a minor, indecent assault, photograph/film/depiction of a sex act-knowing or permitting child, and criminal use of a communications facility, in connection with an online undercover operation by the Towamencin Township Police Department in December.

According to the criminal complaint, Towamencin Township Police responded to Abington Lansdale Hospital on Dec. 9 around 3 p.m. to meet with a pre-teen female sexual assault victim. Once there, police learned that the victim allegedly had an intimate relationship with an adult male—identified as Zumba-Castro. A family member informed police they had seen the victim kissing Zumba-Castro, and that a review of the victim’s cell phone led them to believe that the victim had a sexual relationship with the accused, the report states.

Police then received permission to search the victim’s phone, which lead to the discovery of a lengthy private message conversation between the victim and Zumba-Castro that was sexual in nature, according to the report. Included in the conversation were multiple animated GIFs of male-female sex acts, a photo of condoms and inquiries about sexual intercourse, the report states. At that time, police received permission from the victim’s parents and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office to go undercover and pose as the victim online.

Click here to read North Penn Now’s original coverage of the investigation

At Thursday’s hearing, defense attorney James Funt argued that the rape of a child charges should be dismissed, stating that those charges are tied to Zumba-Castro kissing the victim and touching her breasts, neither of which constitute rape, from his point of view. His argument failed to sway Judge Levine, however, and the charges were held for formal arraignment.

"I think they overcharged him,” said defense attorney James Funt, following the hearing. "Some of the charges were inappropriate, but some were appropriate.”

Funt also requested a bail reduction, as Zumba-Castro is in 23-hour lockdown at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility with bail set at $100,000 cash, but he later withdrew his request after speaking with the prosecution.

Prosecutor Nicholas Beeson declined to comment on the case.

Zumba-Castro’s formal arraignment is scheduled for Apr. 24 at 9:30 a.m. at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown.