Reno man accused of Snapchat to lure child to location, raping the victim

A man is accused of luring a child via Snapchat and then raping her, police said.

Last week, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada, along with Reno police, announced the arrest of Arsh Bhardwaj, 21, in connection to the case.

On March 7, deputies from the Washoe County Sheriff’s office were called to a business for a reported rape. When they arrived, they spoke to the victim and her family, who drove to the business to report the incident.

Investigators said Bhardwaj lured the victim — who was under 14 years old — via social media. He used direct messages on Snapchat and got the girl to come to a location where he forced her into a vehicle and raped her.

Police started an investigation and then arrested Bhardwaj.

He was charged with 10 felony counts, including sexual assault against a child under 14 and first-degree sexually motivated kidnapping of a child under 18.