A man from Loma Linda reportedly talked to a minor using online communications and convinced her to meet him at a hotel room, where he allegedly forced her to remain while he drugged and raped her.
Last Friday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office was reportedly alerted about a girl who was believed to be a runaway, and it was purported that she might have been trapped by someone at the Loma Linda Hotel against her will.
When the police went to the location and inspected the situation, they reported that they discovered 31-year-old Joshua Lewis Blackwell-Tallen and an underage girl were in a room together, and it was asserted that the man was forcing her to stay.
Investigators reported that they found information that they believe will show the girl was given drugs and incapacitated after she was inside the hotel room before Blackwell-Tallen raped her.
The authorities determined that the girl ended up at the hotel with Blackwell-Tallen after the man “groomed the juvenile via the internet” and had a third party bring her to the room, according to a statement issued by the sheriff’s office.
Blackwell-Tallen was taken into custody, and he is expected to face charges for suspicion of rape of an unconscious person, false imprisonment, and arranging to meet with a minor for sex.
He was booked into the West Valley Detention Center in lieu of $250,000 bail, and he is expected to go in front of a judge regarding the allegations on June 16.
The authorities believe Blackwell-Tallen has done the same thing with other females, but at the time this was written they had not confirmed any other alleged victims.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a sexual offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.