Man pressured teen to have abortion after sexually abusing her

A man has been arrested in Florida for sexual battery of a teenage girl, whom he later pressured into having an abortion. Sexual predators often use abortion as a way to destroy evidence of their crimes and further control their victims.

Key Takeaways:

• Moses David Lopez, 26, was arrested on Monday and charged with sexual battery on a minor, lewd and lascivious behavior, and possession of child porn.

• Three years ago, Lopez allegedly told a 14-year-old girl and her parents that he was 16 when he was actually 23. He then began a sexual relationship with the girl.

• Detectives found pornographic videos of his victim on his phone.

• Lopez has admitted to the relationship and to pressuring the girl into an abortion.

The Details:

According to WCJB, Moses David Lopez, 26, was arrested on Monday and charged with sexual battery on a minor, lewd and lascivious battery, and possession of child porn. Three years ago, he is alleged to have told a 15-year-old girl and her parents that he was 16. He began having a sexual relationship with the girl. At the time, however, he was actually 23. His victim is now 18 and has reported the years-long sexual relationship, which Lopez admitted to. He also admitted to pressuring her to have an abortion.

Detectives said they found multiple pornographic videos of the girl on Lopez's phone. He is currently in Marion County Jail, and no bond has been set as of December 26.

The Bottom Line:

Sexual predators often use abortion as a tool to cover up their crimes. Live Action's Aiding Abusers investigation detailed how abusers pose as guardians to secure abortions for their victims. One case involved Sage Robert Lanza, a man who sexually abused two girls ages 12 and 14. When the 14-year-old became pregnant, he drove her to Planned Parenthood, where he forced her to have an abortion. Planned Parenthood failed to report the suspected abuse as required by law.

It is well-known that sex traffickers frequently use Planned Parenthood to cover up the evidence — a preborn child — of their crimes. As one victim of sex trafficking explained, she was often taken to Planned Parenthood for an abortion because "Planned Parenthood didn't ask questions."