Joel Juarez Romero
COLBERT COUNTY-Records from the Colbert County documents show a man from Athens confessed to traveling to Littleville to meet up with a 15-year old boy to engage in sex.
Records indicate a Colbert County deputy was patrolling the area on Stone Gap Road around 11:55 on March 29 when the officer noticed a red truck parked at the end of the dead end road with the lights off. The deputy turned on his police lights and noticed two people in the vehicle moving around in the back seat.
The deputy approached the truck and saw that both people in the vehicle were trying to put their clothes back on. The deputy also noticed lubricant, condoms and a rope in the truck. At that time the deputy detained Joel Juarez Romero and the 15-year-old boy.
At the time of the detention the boy told authorities he met Romero on the dating app Grindr that day and Romero sent lewd photos to him at that time. After this exchange the two agreed to meet.
The boy met Romero at a gas station on US-43 were the 15-year-old gave Romero directions to Stone Gap Road.
After questioning Romero at the Colbert County Jail Romero confessed he drove from Athens to the gas station to meet the 15-year-old boy. He thought the boy was 22 because that is the age the boy gave him on the dating app. Romero says he usually checks ID’s but did not this time.
Romero has been charged with four sexually related charges: 2nd Degree Sodomy, Possession of Child Pornography, Enticing a Child To Enter a Vehicle for Immoral Purposes, and Electronic Solicitation of a Child.
Romero has been bound over to a Grand Jury on the first three charges and court records show that authorities are working to obtain a search warrant on both cell phones.
