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Man arrested for alleged sex abuse of 8-year-old boy
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Posted on May 09 2022
The Superior Court has set a $100,000 bail for a man accused of sexually abusing an 8-year-old boy.
During a bail hearing last Friday, Associate Judge Joseph Camacho set a $100,000 bail for Christian Harrys Santos Manuel, 36, a barber, who was arrested last week on charges of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree and disturbing the peace.
Sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree is punishable by up to 30 years imprisonment, while a disturbing the peace charge carries a penalty of up to six months imprisonment.
The initial complaint to the Department of Public Safety was made by the Division of Youth Services last April 25, after the child’s legal guardian reported the allegation.
In an interview with the victim at DYS last May 2, it was learned that the child’s mother used to bring the child to her Manuel, also known as “Christy,” at a salon he works and lives, to watch the minor while she goes to work and that’s how Manuel met the child.
According to court documents, the victim’s mother is currently in prison at the Department of Corrections and the child is in the care of a guardian.
The child told police what Manuel would make him do. Additionally, it was learned from the victim that “Christy” told him not to tell anyone, on a promise that he would buy a Nintendo game console for the boy.
After the forensic interview, officers met with the legal guardian of the child, who started watching over the boy as his official legal guardian since Aug. 25, 2021. According to the guardian, she asked her son to “install a parental guidance app on [the victim’s] tablet. Her son ‘discovered pornography videos that were downloaded on the tablet and immediately informed’ his mom.
The guardian then asked the child how the videos ended up on the tablet, and the victim said that Manuel downloaded them and would make the child watch the videos.
It was learned that the guardian knew of Manuel through the child’s mother when they used to go to the salon. The guardian was able to positively identify Manuel through photos as the suspect, Christian Harrys Santos Manuel.”
Manuel’s preliminary hearing is set for Friday, May 13 at 10am.
