Alabama man faces child rape charges

A 23-year old Fort Payne, Ala., man is behind bars on a $250,000 bond stemming from a combined 16 counts of sexual misconduct involving underage girls.

A Fort Payne police news release says Pablo Pedro Gomez was charged with six counts of first-degree rape, nine counts of first-degree sodomy and one count of sexual abuse of a child under 12.

The investigation stems from a complaint filed Tuesday with a Fort Payne Police Department school resource officer about a man engaging in "illegal sexual activity" with underage girls, officials said.

Fort Payne detectives took up the investigation from there, and two alleged victims were interviewed at the DeKalb County Children's Advocacy Center. Officials said the interviews led to the identification of Gomez as the perpetrator.

Fort Payne Police Chief Randy Bynum declined to comment about the case Friday, but police officials told online news outlet al.com that the acts did not occur at a school.

The victims' ages were not released.

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