Texas Man Arrested For Teen's Rape May Have Sought Moms On Dating Apps To Assault Their Kids

Investigators in Texas allege that a man charge in a teen's rape may have been using dating sites to lure in single mothers so that he can sexually assault their children.

Epifanio Adolfo Jimenez, 42, has been charged with sexual assault of a child and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office investigators believe that there may be other victims, according to a Wednesday press release from their department.

The child in question is a now-17-year-old girl who reported that Jimenez sexually assaulted her when she was 13, according to charging documents obtained by Click2Houston.com. 

The alleged victim told both school counselors and investigators that Jimenez had raped her in her bedroom after coming home from work and accusing her of not appreciating enough what he did for her. He allegedly stopped his assault when he heard someone else coming down the home's hallway outside her room.

Police said in a press conference on Tuesday that, in order to protect the girl's identity, they couldn't state the precise nature of how Jimenez gained access to her, but said there was "some familiarity" between the suspect, who had a girlfriend at the time of the assault, and the victim.

The victim's mother brought her report to the police. The girl told investigators that she had been scared for years to report the incident.

Jimenez has allegedly corroborated much of the rest of the girl’s story of the night in question, but denied sexually assaulting her, according to Click2Houston. He allegedly suggested to police that she had reported being sexual assaulted because he was less involved in her life today than he used to be.

After arresting Jimenez in connection with the teen girl, investigators say they “discovered that Epifanio was targeting women with children through dating apps, and asked to spend time with them and their children,” the press release alleges. 

They say he used the alias of “Harley” on his dating app profiles while doing so; a picture of a dating app profile featuring Jimenez that was released by police showed that he listed his location as Willis, Texas — a town in Montgomery County, about 50 miles north of downtown Houston.

“Investigators are seeking anyone who may have met with him, or allowed him contact with their children,” investigators state. 

Jimenez, who is currently married, was already on probation in Galveston County for online solicitation of a minor, People reported. 

It’s not clear if he has an attorney. He has not yet entered a plea and a bond has not yet been set for him.

Anyone who may have met with Jimenez on a dating app is urged to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 936-760-5800, and reference case# 22A067965