Whitewater Man Arrested on Child Sexual Exploitation Charges

MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) – A 56-year-old Whitewater man was arrested Thursday on multiple charges of sexual exploitation of a child.

Richard Lemus was arrested after he allegedly arranged to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex. Lemus allegedly met the woman online, but instead spoke with an undercover detective with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.

He is charged with luring a child on the internet with the intent to engage in sexual contact/exploitation, sexual molestation and internet exploitation of a child, criminal attempt, and sexual molestation of a child. The first two are class 4 felonies and the other is a class 5 felony.

Lemus is currently being held in the Mesa County Detention Facility. He is being held on a $20,000 bond. His court appearance is set for Friday.

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