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Recent Amber Alert serves as a reminder for parents regarding their children communicating on social media platforms
FOX 26 Reporter Damali Keith explains the latest details in the case of a man who is accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl.
HOUSTON - New details are emerging regarding an accused predator that allegedly took an 11-year-old girl from her Missouri City home.
27-year-old Jose Paniagua is now charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14.
RELATED: Six men charged with solicitation of minors in Houston-area
According to court records, he bound the 11-year-old's hands and forced himself on her several times after first meeting the little girl online earlier this month.
"So for the parents watching out there, if your kid is 13-years-old or younger, no social media whatsoever," says Tech Expert Juan Guevara Torres.
That’s the recommendation from tech professionals like Torres, because it was in the chatting app Discord where the 11-year-old victim is said to have met accused sexual predator, 27-year-old Jose Paniagua, who is actually on probation in a different county for online solicitation of a minor.
According to court records, the 11-year-old first thought she was talking and meeting up with a 13-year-old boy. Those court documents say on July 9 at Paniagua’s Houston apartment the 11-year-old was forced to have intercourse multiple times and her hands were bound with a leather belt. A sexual assault nurse quoted in court documents say markings were left on the child's wrists.
Also, according to those legal records, Paniagua told police he picked up the 11-year-old and took her to his apartment several times beginning July 3, after meeting the 11-year-old online and Paniagua told investigators he first thought the little girl was a 22-year-old woman.
"When you’re 13 and below, you are very trusting, and you’re developing a lot of the street smarts. A lot of predators who are online know that," says Torres.
That’s why he says there are no family friendly social media sites when it comes to kids 13 and under.
"Nobody under 13 should be with any access on social media or any communications app whatsoever. It doesn’t matter what it is. The failure of parents not monitoring their kids devices could be fatal," Torres says.
Fortunately, the 11-year-old was found Friday night and returned to her grandmother. According to court records, she was discovered hiding in Paniagua’s attic above his bedroom.
Bond has not been set for Paniagua. He is expected in court Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.
Detectives had a starting point on where to look for the missing little girl because her grandmother tracked the 11-year-old’s cell phone to that same apartment earlier this month. The 11-year-old did not have her cell phone with her when she went missing last week.