NEWBERRY — Francisco Diaz Navarrete, 74, of Newberry, has been charged with inappropriate conduct with three children, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

According to a police report from the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, one victim disclosed that sometime last year (2015) she was on her way from a store in Newberry, and while in the car on the way home Navarrete touched her inappropriately.

In October 2016, the Sheriff’s Office requested that SLED investigate allegations against Navarrete. According to SLED, during interviews three girls, ages 7-11, said Navarrete touched them inappropriately.

SLED further states that Navarrete delivered and sold tamales to the families of the victims, and came in contact with them at their Newberry County residences.

According to SLED, Navarrete was interviewed and denied he intended to touch them in an intimate manner.

“It is one of the most serious crimes anybody can be accused of, it is important to thoroughly investigate it, and if there is probable cause, to arrest somebody. It is even more important to prosecute it and be able to get a conviction,” said Sheriff Lee Foster. “Unfortunately, it is one of the toughest cases, even though people find it an abhorrent crime, it is one of the toughest cases to get a conviction on.”

Navarrete
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_navarrete-francisco-0000064372.jpgNavarrete

By Andrew Wigger

awigger@newberryobserver.com

Reach Andrew Wigger at 803-276-0625 ext. 1867 or on Twitter @ TheNBOnews.