Whatcom man suspected of sexually assaulting 12-year-old for past year and a half

A 39-year old man was arrested Sunday by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of molesting and assaulting a 12-year-old girl he was familiar with for the past year and a half.

Camerino Aguilar Meza was booked into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of second-degree child rape and is being held on $50,000 bail.

The Sheriff’s Office was contacted Saturday by the victim’s mother after she suspected the sex crime, according to information provided by Chief Deputy Doug Chadwick in an email Monday to The Bellingham Herald.

After detectives interviewed the victim, they took Aguilar Meza into custody Sunday at a casino without incident. Aguilar Meza told deputies he did not know why he was being accused of rape and refused to speak with them, Chadwick said.