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Accused child molester who fled to Mexico pleads guilty

A 28-year-old Fort Collins man pleaded guilty to molesting two boys. The case involving Andrew Vanderwal gained notoriety after the mother of one of the alleged victims traveled to Mexico to help orchestrate his apprehension.
Credit: Austin Humphreys, the Coloradoan
Andrew Vanderwal appears in court with one of his attorneys, Troy Krenning, during an arraignment at the Larimer County Justice Center on Thursday, September 27, 2018. Vanderwal plead not guilty to two counts of sexual assault with a child by a person in a position of trust.

Nearly two years after allegedly fleeing Mexico after he confessed to molesting his roommate's son, Andrew Vanderwal pleaded guilty to molesting two boys. 

Vanderwal, 28, was set for a 10-day trial beginning Feb. 19 after initially pleading not guilty in September. On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to an amended count of sexual assault on a child younger than 15 by one in a position of trust, a Class 3 felony. The count refers to two alleged victims. One other count of sex assault on a child was dismissed as part of a plea agreement, and three others were dismissed at varying points in the case.

The case gained notoriety after Lydia Lerma, the mother of one of his alleged victims, traveled to Mexico in pursuit of Vanderwal and helped orchestrate his February 2018 arrest by the FBI. 

Prior to his arrest, Vanderwal volunteered with churches and sports teams in Northern Colorado. According to FBI documents and accounts from family members of boys who came forward as victims, he established a pattern of gaining families' trust so he could spend time alone with young boys and molest them.

Read more at the Coloradoan: https://bit.ly/2C6s3rS

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