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Washington Man Accused Of Hiding In 12-Year-Old Girl's Bedroom, Sexually Abusing Her
Zacharias Adrian Cavasos allegedly first met the girl on social media in December before traveling across state lines.
A Washington man has been accused of committing a sex crime after allegedly secretly living in the bedroom of a 12-year-old girl for weeks and sexually abusing her during that time.
Zacharias Adrian Cavasos, 21, was charged with sexual abuse of a minor in U.S. District Court in Portland, according to The Oregonian. Cavasos allegedly first met the girl on social media in December, communicating with her via social media and text messaging, before arranging in early February to travel from Washington to Oregon to meet the girl, according to court documents obtained by the outlet.
They met up at the the Wildhorse Resort and Casino in Oregon, and Cavasos is alleged to have then moved into the girl's bedroom — in her grandfather's home on the Umatilla Indian Reservation — on February 10, the outlet reports.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Martin said that Cavasos removed the slats from the girl's bed frame in order to routinely hide under her bed, in addition to hiding in the child's closet, according to The Oregonian. The child's grandfather said he discovered Cavasos in the bedroom more than a week later, on February 25, at which point he ordered Cavasos to leave.
However, Cavasos is alleged to have clandestinely returned to the home some time later and resumed living in the girl's bedroom until he was caught a second time, on March 11, Martin said.
Cavasos was arrested on the afternoon of March 13, online jail records indicated.
After being taken into custody, Cavasos allegedly admitted to secretly living in the child's room and sexually assaulting her multiple times during that period, according to a court filing obtained by The Oregonian.
Cavasos was released from custody on Thursday, booking records show. His lawyer Thomas Price argued that his client may have an intellectual disability, lacks emotional maturity, and had not had any trouble with the law before, according to The Oregonian.
Price asked that the judge allow Cavasos to await trial in a clean-and-sober house while submitting to GPS monitoring and adhering to a curfew.
Martin argued against Cavasos' release, and blasted Price's claims that Cavasos could have believed that his abuse constituted a romantic relationship, according to the paper.
"That’s not remotely possible since the victim can’t legally provide consent," she said.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You said that her decision was a difficult one, and that the allegations were unsettling, per The Oregonian's report.
"I’m troubled by the allegation that despite knowing the victim’s age and the fact that he was not to return to that residence, he went back and further allegedly engaged in the same criminal conduct," she said. "When I started reading the nature of the allegations, I really was quite surprised by what I read, I have never been aware of anyone alleged to have been living in a 12-year-old’s bedroom for a month."
