Coachella woman pleads not guilty to lewd acts with a toddler, child porn
A 21-year-old Coachella woman accused, along with a male co-defendant, of lewd acts on a toddler and creating child pornography was charged Friday with four felony counts and ordered held on $2.5 million bail.
Cynthia Fuentes, who was arrested in Coachella on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to one count each of committing a lewd act on a child, using a minor for obscene matter, possession of child pornography and child endangerment. She is scheduled to return to the Indio courthouse on Sept. 13 for a felony settlement conference.
Her co-defendant, Michael Flaherty, 31, of Desert Hot Springs, was arrested by Desert Hot Springs police on August 16 in Palm Springs. He was subsequently charged with lewd acts on a child, using a minor for obscene matter, possession of child pornography, child endangerment and transporting a minor for a lewd act, court records show.
Flaherty is additionally charged with an accessory count for allegedly aiding a woman, identified only as Jane Doe, evade capture. It’s unclear whether that count pertains to Fuentes.
The criminal complaint alleges that the child — identified only as John Doe — was about 18 months old at the time of the alleged abuse, but does not specify the boy’s relationship, if any, to the defendants.
Flaherty is being held in lieu of $1.5 million bail and is due back in court on September 21 for a felony settlement conference.
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