A man accused of raping an 11-year-old girl in the US was allegedly shot by the child’s father after he was lured to the family’s home through messages sent on TikTok. The incident happened in Columbus, Ohio, the state capital in the American Midwest, where police say Diego Montoya Gonzalez, 20, was later arrested and has now been indicted on multiple felony charges.
According to court records, Montoya Gonzalez faces five counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, two counts of rape and one count of obstructing official business. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges during an appearance at Franklin County Common Pleas Court.
The case emerged on July 15, when the girl’s mother contacted police after discovering a video on her 11-year-old daughter’s mobile phone that appeared to show sexual activity, according to prosecutors.
The following day, prosecutors allege the girl’s father, Malik Chandler, 31, posed as his daughter on TikTok to persuade Montoya Gonzalez to come to the family’s home.
According to a criminal complaint, the father later told investigators he intended to assault the 20-year-old before contacting police.
However, he claimed he believed Montoya Gonzalez was reaching for a weapon, prompting him to open fire.
When police arrived on the scene, they found Montoya Gonzalez sitting in a chair with two gunshot wounds. He was transported to Grant Medical Center in Columbus, according to WHIO.
A neighbour told local broadcaster WSYX: “I can see why he went after him. I’m not saying it’s right, but that at least makes some sense. It wasn’t a senseless thing.”
Chandler was charged with felony assault, and his bond was set at $100,000.
Montoya Gonzalez was indicted by a grand jury on Friday on five counts of pandering sexually oriented material, two counts of rape and one count of obstruction of official business.
If Montoya Gonzalez is released from jail, he’s been ordered to have no contact with the victim and her family and is banned from using the internet for any purposes outside of work.