KYLE, Texas – A registered sex offender in San Antonio was arrested in Kyle after allegedly using Snapchat to lure a 10-year-old girl from her home and law enforcement officials think there may be other victims.
Diego Alejandro Cortez, 24, is charged with child trafficking to engage in sexual conduct and harboring a runaway child.
According to the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, the girl’s parents reported her missing at 3:30 a.m. on July 2. The missing girl was located a short time later in San Antonio and she was returned home at about 4:30 a.m. Deputies pulled Cortez over in his White 2022 Volkswagen a short time later as he was leaving the area.
Cortez portrayed himself as a young teen to gain the girls’ trust, HCSO officials said.
Through follow-up interviews, investigators learned that Cortez had sexual intercourse with the young girl as well as with other children in and around the San Antonio area.
Investigators are asking for other potential victims to come forward.
Cortez was known by the Snapchat profile names of Dfordiegs and Slowbass4367.
Parents are asked to contact Sergeant Mark Opiela with the Hays County Sheriff’s Office by phone at 512-393-7896 or by email mark.opiela@co.hays.tx.us if they believe their child may have been a victim.
People can also submit tips anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800- 324-TIPS or through the Tip Line app P3tips.com or the Hays County Sheriff’s Office App.
Cortez is being held in the Hays County Jail with bonds totaling $300,000. The child trafficking charge is a first-degree felony. The harboring a runaway charge is a Class-A misdemeanor.
Online records show Cortez was a registered sex offender with an address listed in the Kinder Ranch neighborhood on San Antonio’s far North Side. He was convicted of indecency with a child by contact
Sheriff Gary Cutler urged parents to monitor their children’s social media use and to have conversations about internet safety and said parents can find additional resources through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Online records show Cortez just registered as a sex offender in May. He was previously arrested for sexual assault of a child in Abilene in December of 2021.
Diego Alejandro Cortez is a registered sex offender in Texas (Hays County Sheriff’s Office)