FROM STAFF REPORTS

A 50-year-old man faces multiple felony charges related to the sexual assault of a minor following an investigation by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Darren Campbell announced the arrest of Jose Rosendo Marquez, 50, in a news release on Friday.

The ICSO began investigating on August 21 after receiving a report about a minor being sexually assaulted in western Iredell County in August of 2017.

The case was assigned to Detective Sergeant Katie Harwell of the ICSO Special Victim’s Unit for further investigation, and the minor was interviewed at the Dove House Children’s Advocacy Center.

During the interview the victim disclosed being sexually assaulted on multiple occasions, Campbell said. The victim identified Marquez as the suspect in the case, according to the news release.

During the course of the investigation, Detective Harwell gathered additional evidence before obtaining warrants charging Marquez with 19 counts of felony first-degree statutory sex offense.

Detectives received information that Marquez had fled from North Carolina to Virginia, Campbell said.

Marquez was located and arrested in Virginia on November 23. He was extradited to Iredell County and taken to the Iredell County Detention Center on December 9.

Magistrate Thompson set Marquez’s bond at $2.5 million.