Lexington County deputies arrest man they say drove to Chicago to pick up 12-year-old girl and bring her back to South Carolina

Lexington, SC 05/21/2025 - Lexington County deputies have arrested a man they said drove to Chicago to pick up a 12-year-old girl and brought her back to South Carolina.

Hector Leonel Lopez-Nunez, 20, is charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and misrepresenting his identity to law enforcement, according to arrest warrants.

“Based on what investigators have gone back to review as it relates to the suspect’s travels, he went to Chicago after meeting the girl online and promising to take her to another state to meet her father,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “The victim’s presence in our county was brought to our attention May 11 by the Chicago Police Department.”

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Chicago police tracked the girl to the 200 block of Stagecoach Road in Gaston, according to Koon.

“We found her shortly after the call from Chicago PD and she was taken into emergency protective custody,” Koon said. “At the same time, we had a detective searching for Lopez-Nunez. He was located and taken into custody.”

Lopez-Nunez, a Gaston resident, inappropriately touched the girl while they were in his truck parked on Stagecoach Road, according to Koon. Lopez-Nunez is accused of providing deputies with an inaccurate date when asked for his date of birth, which prompted the misrepresenting identity charge.

“These situations, while unfortunate, provide us with an opportunity to remind parents and guardians to monitor their child’s online activity,” Koon said. “Whether it’s social media or gaming, those platforms can provide predators with access to your child.”

Lopez-Nunez is being held in the Lexington County Detention Center.