OREM, Utah, Jan. 26, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A Springville man is being held without bail after he allegedly detained an 11-year-old girl in her bedroom with him after instructing another child to leave, slapped the victim’s face, and sexually abused her.
Marco Antonio Corona, 32, faces charges of:
- Aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony
- Child kidnapping, a first-degree felony
- Possession of controlled substances marijuana/spice, a class B misdemeanor
According to charging documents, the incident happened in August of last year when Corona was attending a multi-family house party where the victim lived, and multiple adults were intoxicated.
Corona, who is not related to the child, reportedly entered her room, told another child to leave, then detained the victim.
“The child said Marco had hurt her by grabbing her arms and had also offered her tobacco and ‘happy pills,'” the probable cause statement says.
“The child reported that Marco had talked to her about if she knew how girls get pregnant, and where babies come from. The child said Marco had made her sit on his lap.”
Within a few days of the gathering, the child “was disclosing more information about being touched inappropriately and being assaulted sexually,” the probable cause statement says. The child also reported being touched inappropriately, and that at one point, Corona “told her to calm down and she said she told him to leave her alone and stop. She stated he then slapped her across the face.”
The probable cause statement also said that when the girl contacted a relative to pick her up, Corona allegedly offered the child a cellphone in an attempt to get her to stay.
Officers tried to locate Corona over a period of months, the report said. He was found on Monday.
Post Miranda, Corona agreed to talk, and confirmed some details, the Orem Police statement says, but “Marco did not admit to specifically assaulting the victim on the day in question.
“Marco stated in the interview that he had never been with the child alone in her bedroom on the night in question, but later changed his story and said he had. He also admitted to grabbing the child’s side in an effort to tell her to calm down. The
interview was ended.”
Marijuana was found in Corona’s wallet.
Corona is being held without bail due to the seriousness of the charges, the fact that he was on parole, his lack of a regular address, and concerns that he might not return for trial, the statement says.
