Jacob Sullivan was arrested in north Peoria on Tuesday and charged with three counts of sexual conduct with a minor, the Pinal County Sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The police became aware of the incident after they were contacted by an urgent care clinic in Queen Creek that reported that a 6-year-old tested positive for an STD.
The investigation later revealed that the girl said she was sexually assaulted by Sullivan, who is also her father’s roommate.
“Getting this sexual predator off the streets was our number one priority. I am pleased with our detectives for making quick work of this suspect,” said Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb in a statement.
“I pray that the victim in this case finds comfort and healing. We stand with her and all victims of abuse. We are here for you,” Lamb added.
Sullivan is currently held at Pinal County jail and was initially granted a $100,000 bond, but a judge on Wednesday ruled that given the nature of of the alleged sex offenses, he is not eligible for bond.
The 26-year-old is also wanted on a separate warrant by the Copper Corridor Justice Court that came with an additional $3,343 bond, the police said.
Newsweek contacted the Pinal County Sheriff’s office for further comments and information.
A number of sexual assault incidents involving minors have been reported recently in different parts of the country. Last month, 26-year-old Eduardo G. Rubio was arrested in Fayetteville, North Carolina after violently attacking a 13-year-old girl who he allegedly impregnated.
Meanwhile, a former CNN producer pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in Stamford, Connecticut to charges alleging he paid a woman to travel with her 9-year-old daughter to engage in illegal sexual activity with him.
John Griffin, 44, allegedly visited a dating site for several years in which he had conversations with parents of minors of varying ages. He was reportedly searching for minors he could “train to be sexually subservient,” according to CNN’s reporting of the indictment.
Similarly, in Washington state, two former foster children who were victims of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse by their foster parents for nine years are set to receive $4 million from the state for the lack of safety monitoring in their foster home.
The sisters testified that their foster parent Margaret Wagner would force them to take cold showers, hit and starve them, while Wagner’s boyfriend, Jose Cortez, molested and raped them. Cortez pleaded guilty in 2016 to charges of first-degree child molestation and was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 10.8 years.
