SAN DIEGO — Authorities on Tuesday announced the arrest of a 35-year-old man suspected of committing “multiple sexual assaults” in San Diego County and other parts of Southern California over the past four years, and asked for any additional victims to come forward.
Detectives from the San Diego Police Department’s sex crimes unit arrested Juan Carlos Cordero on March 21, San Diego police Lt. Carole Beason said in a statement.
On March 26, Cordero pleaded not guilty in San Diego Superior Court to four felony counts related to sex crimes, including sexual penetration of an unconscious victim, according to court records.
Jail records showed Cordero remained held Wednesday in lieu of $2 million bail.
Police believe Cordero preyed on women across the county between early 2015 and March of this year. According to investigators, he would approach women who were intoxicated near bars and nightclubs, introduce himself as “JC” and convince them to go back to his apartment or hotel. Once there, Cordero would sexually assault the women, Beason said.
Cordero also used internet dating sites like PlentyOfFish and other popular websites like Craigslist to meet women, Beason said. Once he met them in person, he would allegedly ply them with alcohol or drugs, or both, and sexually assault them.
“Cordero also video tapes his victims prior to or during the sexual assault,” Beason said in the statement.
Pedro Bernal, Cordero’s defense attorney, said Wednesday that he and his client look forward to fighting the charges in court.
“My client maintains that he is innocent and any contact or relations that he had with any woman was consensual,” Bernal said.
“Based on the circumstances of all the cases, the… sex crimes unit is looking for any additional sexual assault victims or persons with information,” Beason said.
Potential victims or tipsters were urged to contact the sex crimes detectives at (619) 531-2210, or San Diego County Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.