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Alleged internet predator arrested, jailed for sex with 13-year-old girl

Jose E. Argueta Romero, 19 of Carbondale, is charged with being an internet predator and having repeated sexual encounters with a 13 year old girl he met online. He is being held on $100,000 bond.
Eagle County Sheriff’s Office |

EAGLE — An alleged internet predator is in jail on charges of repeatedly having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Jose E. Argueta Romero, 19, of Carbondale, started by finding the girl on social media and gaining her trust by telling her how pretty she is, said the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office.

Romero met with the young girl in person and eventually had multiple sexual encounters with her in his car outside the minor’s house, the Sheriff’s Office said in its report.



The girl missed several days of school, and school officials reported it, saying they feared she might be pregnant. Child Protective Services notified Sheriff’s deputies, who began an investigation. Romero was arrested Wednesday afternoon and booked on felony charges of sexual assault on a child. He is being held in the Eagle County jail on $100,000 bond.

After Romero’s bond hearing, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office stressed how important it is to monitor children and their use of social media.

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• Know young family members’ passwords.

• Check their usage regularly.

• Avoid giving them private access to devices with camera or video capabilities.

• Ask if they personally know contacts listed on their social media account. If that answer is ever “no,” then delete and block that contact from any accounts.

• Report to law enforcement anything suspicious or potentially dangerous, educate yourself and your family and protect loved ones from potential long-term effects. For more tips, check out the documentary “Screenagers.”

Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 or rwyrick@vaildaily.com.


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