A 45-year-old Bridgeport man is facing 19 counts after police said he sexually assaulted four children, ages 3 to 12, over a span of several months this year. Jose Lopez was taken into custody at his home on Hallet Street on Friday morning, accused of a pattern of abuse that investigators say played out across the city's North End and East Side.
Bridgeport's Special Victims Unit arrested Lopez on an active felony warrant, according to NBC Connecticut. Investigators dubbed the case “Operation Cola,” a nod to Lopez's street name, the station reported. Police said the alleged assaults occurred between June and October and involved children ranging in age from three to twelve.
According to WTNH, the assaults allegedly involved four children and occurred in both the North End and the East Side of Bridgeport. Police said Lopez told them he went door to door cutting lawns.
Police Say Lopez Offered Money and Gifts Before Assaults
Officers said some of the alleged victims reported that Lopez offered them money and gifts to help him before sexually assaulting them. The same report noted that some children stated Lopez forced them to watch pornography. Per the account given to police, Lopez used the promise of odd jobs and small rewards to get close to the children before the alleged abuse occurred.
Bridgeport police, through WFSB, said the alleged assaults took place at locations including Lopez's own home and a residence where his family lives. The Special Victims Unit made the arrest with assistance from the department's Fugitive Unit and Patrol Division, the outlet reported.
19 Counts Filed, Including Kidnapping and Enticing a Minor
According to WFSB, Lopez faces four counts each of risk of injury to a minor and fourth-degree sexual assault, along with three counts each of illegal sexual contact with a minor and enticing a minor. He also faces two counts of threatening, the outlet reported, as well as one count each of first-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, and commercial sexual abuse involving an agreement to pay for sexual acts.
Lopez was taken to court for arraignment Friday, and his bond was set at $2 million, according to NBC Connecticut. WFSB reported that Lopez was convicted of illegal sexual contact in a 2005 Bridgeport case, served time in prison afterward, and was listed on the state's sex offender registry for a period of time.
Arrest Does Not Equal Conviction, City Notes
The charges against Lopez remain allegations at this stage of the case. The City of Bridgeport Police Department notes on its own arrest blotter that individuals listed there are not found guilty unless they are brought before a court and convicted.
