Crime & Safety
Half Moon Bay Man Pleads Not Guilty to Child Molestation Charges
Gregorio Padilla-Luis, 26, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to allegedly molesting a 13-year-old girl.
An alleged sex offender from Half Moon Bay pleaded not guilty in court on Wednesday to three counts of child molestation.
Gregorio Padilla-Luis, 26, who was arrested Monday for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old girl, remains in custody with bail set at $300,000.
According to the San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, Padilla-Luis met the unidentified victim when she was 12 at a Half Moon Bay dance last summer.
Prosecutors allege they started seeing each other since then on a regular basis and had sex seven times in the suspect's truck, according to the District Attorney. The victim told investigators the sex was consensual.
The relationship was first discovered Monday when the girl's family found her sitting partially undressed in the backseat of Padilla-Luis’ truck. She had snuck out of her parents’ home, but her father woke up when he heard the sound of a door shutting. The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office was called when the family realized she was missing. The suspect told the father he loved the girl, according to the District Attorney.
Padilla-Luis was arrested at the scene and now faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison if convicted.
He will return to court on July 5 for a preliminary hearing.
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