DARLINGTON — A Darlington Police investigation into sexual contacts between adult men and young girls has resulted in seven arrests and one conviction.

Police news releases said the men were arrested for “what is believed to be an isolated incident between a small group of men and a small group of girls they were acquainted with.”

●  Ruben Hernandez-Alarcon, 24, Darlington, pleaded no contest Oct. 11 to repeated acts of sexual assault of the same child for an incident Jan. 1.

Hernandez-Alarcon will be sentenced Dec. 21. He faces up to 60 years in prison.

●  Alexander Ortez-Martinez, 21, Platteville, was arrested Aug. 29 on a valid warrant at a Washington Street residence after an investigation into a relationship with a 13-year-old girl.

Ortez-Martinez was bound over for trial on a charge of repeated acts of sexual assault of the same child Sept. 7. He pleaded not guilty to the charge Oct. 11. A scheduling conference is set for Jan. 17.

Ortez-Martinez also pleaded not guilty Sept. 7 to a Lafayette County charge of operating without a valid driver’s license for an incident May 14. A scheduling conference on that charge also will be held Jan. 17.

Ortez-Martinez also faces a Grant County charge of operating without a valid driver’s license for an incident July 8. An arrest warrant was issued Sept. 11, according to court records.

●  Bartolo Alegria-Mollinedo, 57, Darlington, was arrested July 18 on six charges for alleged sexual contact with 6- and 8-year-old girls at a Darlington residence.

Alegria-Mollinedo was bound over for trial and pleaded not guilty Oct. 11 to first-degree child sexual assault by intercourse with a child younger than 12, first-degree child sexual assault by sexual contact with a child younger than 13, intimidating a victim by threatening force, intimidating a victim by use or attempt to use force by a dangerous weapon, and two counts of exposing intimate areas to a child.

A scheduling conference is set for Jan. 17. Alegria-Mollinedo faces up to 60 years in prison on the sexual assault charges.

●  Jose Argenis Hernandez-Hernandez, 26, Darlington, was arrested March 31 on two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child by sexual contact or intercourse with a child younger than 13, two counts of child enticement — sexual contact, use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and resisting or obstructing an officer. All six charges include repeat-offender sentence enhancers.

The arrest was a result of an investigation into two interactions Hernandez-Hernandez allegedly had with a 12-year-old child over the previous three months.  

Hernandez-Hernandez waived his preliminary hearing April 17 and pleaded not guilty May 16. 

Hernandez-Hernandez is in the Stanley Correctional Institution, according to court records. Hernandez-Hernandez was placed on four years probation, including three years’ license revocation and three years’ ignition interlock device requirement, after he pleaded no contest in 2019 to fourth-offense operating with prohibited alcohol concentration and an operating after revocation (refusal) in Lafayette County. Hernandez-Hernandez’s probation was revoked May 18 and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison and two years extended supervision, according to court records.

A motion hearing for Hernandez-Hernandez’s attorney’s request to withdraw from the case is scheduled for Nov. 20.

●  An arrest warrant was issued Oct. 4 for Javier Mora-Cervantes, 48, Darlington, after he failed to appear in court for a plea hearing on a charge of soliciting a child for prostitution.

Mora-Cervantes is accused of buying young girls vape products and offering to pay a 12-year-old girl to have sexual intercourse on Nov. 7, 2022.  

Mora-Cervantes waived his preliminary hearing June 23 and pleaded not guilty, but decided to change his plea at a status conference Sept. 7, according to court records. However, Mora-Cervantes then did not appear for a scheduled plea hearing Sept. 28, according to court records.

Bond was set at $4,000 cash April 24 with the conditions he not contact the victim or the victim’s residence and that he have no contact with anyone younger than 18 except for his 14-year-old son and his grandchildren. His bond was increased to $6,500 cash after he failed to appear for his preliminary hearing May 5, according to court records.

●  Jose Noel Lopez-Ortiz, 30, Darlington, was arrested March 23 on a charge of second-degree sexual assault of a child. 

Lopez-Ortiz allegedly had sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl at a location on Ravine Street in Darlington. 

An arrest warrant was issued April 17 after Lopez-Ortiz failed to appear for his adjourned initial court appearance April 14, according to court records. Lopez-Ortiz had been free on $5,000 cash bond after his first court appearance Mach 27.

Lopez-Ortiz’s roommate, Brayan Armando Borjas-Velasquez, 19, was arrested March 23 for obstructing the police investigation into the matter.

Police said the incidents were “not a widespread problem and young females within the community are not being randomly targeted.” Police said more arrests may be made in the future. 

Police said those arrested who “lacked proper documentation to be within the United States were also referred to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement department.”