BEDFORD — A California man faces decades in prison after a Lawrence County jury convicted him this week on multiple felony charges—including rape and child molestation in connection with the abduction and assault of a 12-year-old girl from eastern Greene County.
Following a jury trial in Lawrence County Superior Court II, 45-year-old Bernardo Revelez Tapia of San Jose, California, was found guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of child molesting, two counts of promotion of child sexual trafficking, two counts of strangulation, and obstruction of justice.
Tapia is scheduled to be formally sentenced by Lawrence County Superior Court II Judge Robert Cline on August 27th.
The case began on September 23, 2024, when the Greene County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a missing 12-year-old girl. Family members informed investigators that the child had been communicating on Snapchat with an older man who arranged to pick her up outside her home.
Although the child returned home shortly after the initial missing person report was filed, investigators quickly determined she had been taken to a motel in Bedford, Indiana, and sexually assaulted.
To track down the suspect, law enforcement utilized Flock Safety license plate recognition cameras to identify the vehicle Tapia drove from California to southern Indiana. Days later, on September 26, 2024, Indiana State Police located and arrested Tapia in northern Indiana near Elkhart.
Police say Tapia, a registered sex offender, targeted multiple minors.
According to court records, Tapia was already a registered sex offender in California before his 2024 arrest.
Following his apprehension, forensic digital evidence reviewed by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office revealed a disturbing pattern of behavior. Detectives determined that Tapia was actively in contact with numerous underage girls across multiple states.
Authorities emphasized that the use of automated license plate technology and swift inter-agency collaboration stopped Tapia before he could target additional victims.
