Jose Eduardo Reyes-Cortez (Photo courtesy of Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
A Wisconsin man, who was arrested in July for being in a hotel room with a runaway 15-year-old girl from Marion County, is now facing multiple sex related crimes from the incident. Twenty-four-year-old Jose Eduardo Reyes-Cortez of Janesville is facing an additional six felony charges.
According to the probable cause affidavit from the Mountain Home Police Department, officers responded to a disturbance call at the hotel July 25. The manager told officers no one would come to the door when he knocked, but he heard a female voice saying “don’t hurt me” repeatedly.
Officers noticed the female was very upset and was intoxicated. They discovered she was a 15-year-old runaway that had been reported missing two days earlier. She was taken to Baxter Health for treatment.
Reyes-Cortez was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The following day, he was booked into the Marion County Law Enforcement Center on a felony count of interference with custody.
The hotel staff cleaned the room and turned several items over to police, including two cell phones.
During the investigation, police learned Reyes-Cortez had drove from Wisconsin to Marion County and helped the teen leave her home and took her to the hotel in Mountain Home. It was discovered earlier this year, the victim had been listed as a runaway twice in Wisconsin and was found with Reyes-Cortez both times. The victim’s mother had moved to Arkansas to get away from Reyes-Cortez.
A search warrant was executed on Reyes-Cortez’s cell phone which showed photos and videos of the victim.
During an interview at Grandma’s House in Mountain Home, the victim told investigators she met Reyes-Cortez through Snapchat.
Reyes-Cortez is facing four counts of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child along with one count each of second-degree sexual assault and traveling for the purpose of an unlawful sexual act with a minor.
He is being held in the Marion County Law Enforcement Center on the previous charge with a $25,000 bond. His bond on the new charges will also be $25,000.
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