Victims escaped alleged child molester July 4 by kicking him below the belt
A Kansas City man is facing child molestation charges after allegedly assaulting two children at a Clay County lake over the holiday weekend.
Carlos Climaco-Garcia, 26, is charged with two counts of third-degree molestation of a child under 14, according to a Facebook post from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Two children were swimming at the Smithville Lake Little Platte Swim Beach around 8 p.m. when Climaco-Garcia approached them in the water, according to court documents. He began to ask them questions about their names and ages.
Climaco-Garcia groped both children at different times during the interaction and attempted to remove their swimsuits, according to the Facebook post.
The pair were able to escape by kicking Climaco-Garcia in the groin, according to court documents. A parent of one of the children called law enforcement.
Climaco-Garcia told someone at the scene that the duo had approached him and he denied any contact, according to court documents.
The two children described what their alleged assailant looked like, and Climaco-Garcia was apprehended “immediately,” according to court documents.
Climaco-Garcia is being held in the Clay County Detention Center on a $75,000 bond, according to court documents. He is set to appear for a bond reduction hearing July 10.
This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 3:19 PM.
