Sexual Battery Charges Filed Against Man Who Groped Woman, Followed Minors: Police

FAIR OAKS, VA — A man who Fairfax County police say groped a woman in a store and followed three minors in a Fair Oaks neighborhood has been charged with sexual battery, police said.

Officers responded around 9:09 a.m. on Aug. 31 for two reports of a man who acted strangely and tried to follow a minor in the 12200 block of Apple Orchard Court in Fair Oaks, according to the incident report. When they arrived on the scene, the officers were provided with photos and video of the man.

As they searched the area, the officers were approached by a woman in the 12000 block of Fairfax Towne Center. She told them a man matching the description of the suspect they were looking for touched her inappropriately in a store, according to police.

Eventually, the officers located the suspect, whom they identified as Nelson Robles, 22, of Fairfax, and took him into custody.

Investigators linked Robles to a similar incident a day earlier, when he approached and followed three minors in the neighborhood, according to police.

Police arrested Robles and took him to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where they charged him with two counts of sexual battery, according to police. He was held without bond.

Robles was arraigned on Monday and had a bond hearing on Thursday morning in Fairfax County General District Court, according to court records. A preliminary hearing was set for 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 2.

The two sexual battery charges are Class 1 misdemeanors, which are punishable by up to 12 months in jail, a fine of up to $2,500 or both, under the Code of Virginia.

Anyone who may be a victim of a crime involving Robles or has information about this case is asked to contact detectives from FCPD's Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), and by web – Click HERE. Download the ‘P3 Tips’ App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers.” Anonymous tipsters are eligible for a cash reward. Leave contact information if you wish for a detective to follow up with you.