(Editor’s note: Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation, as well as the age of the victim, North Penn Now is withholding some of the details of this incident.)
An 18-year-old Towamencin man, after an undercover investigation, is facing allegations of entering into a sexual relationship with a pre-teen girl.
Juan Pablo Zumba-Castro, 18, is currently charged with felony corruption of minors, and police have informed North Penn Now that additional charges are in the process of being filed by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
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 lead 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 GIF’s 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.
Posing as the victim an unspecified number of days later, police were reportedly contacted by Zumba-Castro via private message stating that he was at a restaurant in Lower Gwynedd, and wanted to meet the victim around 10 p.m. Zumba-Castro added that he would pick up condoms on the way, the report states. Police then drove to the restaurant, where they surveilled Zumba-Castro entering his vehicle and leaving towards the victim’s home, the report states. Police then followed the vehicle to the CVS on South Valley Forge Road, at which point Zumba-Castro allegedly exited the vehicle, entered the store and purchased condoms.
The report states that police continued to follow Zumba-Castro into the parking lot of a nearby apartment complex, where he again reached out to undercover police in an attempt to solidify plans to pick up the victim. Police then initiated a traffic stop, at which point Zumba-Castro said he was just driving around, according to the report.
Upon further questioning during the traffic stop, Zumba-Castro reportedly admitted that he was going to meet the victim, but denied knowing her age. He was then taken into custody, at which point police discovered four condoms in his rear right pocket.
Zumba-Castro was arraigned at 10 a.m. on Dec. 30 by Magisterial District Judge Edward Kropp Sr., who set bail at $100,000 cash. Zumba-Castro was then remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post bail. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for Jan. 14 in front of Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine, though that was continued due to additional charges being filed by the district attorney. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 9:30 a.m. in front of Judge Levine.
Due to the active investigation, Towamencin Township Police Chief Tim Dickinson was unable to provide comment, though he confirmed that additional charges were pending and that Zumba-Castro is still remanded to county jail.
(All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
See also:
Lansdale Man Charged In Violent Assault Of Girlfriend
Police: Man Steals Vacation Money From Elderly Neighbor
Mother Charged With Felonies After Leaving Infants Home Alone
MTPD: Man Causes Three-Vehicle Accident, Arrested For Eighth DUI
Woman Charged With Vehicular Homicide, DUI Following Hilltown Crash
