Man takes plea deal in child sex assault, drug case in Longmont
A man accused of providing marijuana and vape pens to Longmont-area minors in exchange for sexual acts in 2023 and 2024 has accepted a plea deal.
John Lopez, 23, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance, distribution of marijuana, possession of a dangerous weapon and attempted human trafficking of a minor involving servitude. Eleven other charges were dismissed, including one count of trafficking a minor for sexual servitude and one count of child sex assault.
Lopez is being held of a $3 million bond and his sentencing is set for Aug. 15.
Lopez had another ongoing case from 2023 that he also accepted a plea deal for Thursday. He pleaded guilty to a count related to menacing. Four other charges — felony menacing, prohibited use of a weapon, child abuse and reckless endangerment — were dismissed as part of a global disposition.
According to an affidavit, in November 2023, a victim told a Longmont detective she had met with Lopez, also known as Jay Barraza, in summer 2023 where she performed oral sex for two vape cartridges. The victim was 12 years old at the time of the alleged assault.
The girl said Lopez picked her up and drove her to a parking lot in the Niwot area. According to the affidavit, the girl said when they pulled into the lot, she thought, 'I'm definitely gonna get murdered, like this is how I'm gonna die.'
Lopez was the third co-defendant in the case to be arrested. Angel Gomez-Rubio and Fernando Pacheco were accused of meeting up with girls ranging in age from 12 to 15 and exchanging vape pens and marijuana for sexual favors. Pacheco is set for a sentencing hearing June 5.
Gomez Rubio was sentenced to 97 years in prison after pleading guilty March 13 to 10 counts of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude, five counts of attempted sexual assault, four counts of second-degree assault and distribution of marijuana to a minor. Pacheco accepted a plea deal last month and pleaded guilty to one count of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude, according to court records.
His 2023 case began when Longmont police responded to a drive-by shooting and a witness identified Lopez as the shooter, saying he was driving alone in a white BMW. Lopez was later arrested and several rifle casings were found in his car but no weapons.
On the same day, police executed a search warrant on Lopez's home in which they allegedly found an AR-15-style rifle with three magazines, ammunition, more than 100 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, more than 100 grams of cocaine and 2.1 grams of crack cocaine.
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