Hutchinson man accused of molesting preschoolers

Dec. 8—A 23-year-old Hutchinson man was arrested Monday on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a child for incidents that began when the victims were reportedly preschoolers.

Daniel Paul Mendoza was booked on counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, sexual exploitation of a child by promoting performance, and sexual exploitation by "employment of a child" under 14.

The sheriff's office initially was dispatched to investigate the case on Nov. 27 and was told by the reporting party they were aware two children had been sexually abused.

The victims were interviewed and indicated they'd been abused "two or three times behind their grandmother's house," according to details in an arrest affidavit outlined by Magistrate Judge Daniel Gilligan during Mendoza's initial appearance.

The multiple sex acts, Gilligan said, were "conducted on individuals when they were 3- and 4-years-old," and they also involved "enticing the child to send naked pictures over the internet." He didn't explain the details of the third count.

It was unclear from the information provided at the hearing when the incidents occurred, or over how long of a period of time.

Gilligan scheduled a status hearing for 9:30 a.m.Dec. 14, giving prosecutors time to file a case. Mendoza remains jailed on a $450,000 bond.

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