INDIO – A 27-year-old Corona man accused of leaving La Quinta Middle School with a 12-year-old girl he had been communicating with through social media was sentenced Friday to prison after pleading guilty in September.

Joshua Meza was previously charged with six felony counts of committing a lewd act on a child under 14 and one felony count each of kidnapping a victim under 14, contact with a minor for the purpose of committing certain crimes, displaying harmful substances to a minor. He accepted the accusation. Attempting to sell child sexual content and possessing a knife or similar object at school, according to court records. He also pleaded guilty to one count of carrying a loaded firearm in a public place.

Judge Susanne Cho sentenced Meza to three years in prison Friday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to Thalia Hayden of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Case records showed that the sentence included a 10-year criminal protection order.

According to an affidavit supporting the bail increase, deputies from the Thermal sheriff’s station responded to La Quinta Middle School around 1 p.m. on May 19, 2023, regarding a report of a 12-year-old girl taken without her parents’ consent. Meza’s case was opened.

“The victim stated that she went with the suspect willingly, that they kissed and admitted that he touched her clothes, and that it is not known whether they had sexual intercourse at this time,” the statement said. “I believe he is a flight risk because he did not give his current address, he traveled from the city of Corona to meet a child and I believe he poses a danger to children in the community.”

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, when deputies arrived at the school, employees gave them the suspect’s license plate number.

While deputies were investigating the area at 14.14, Meza’s vehicle was found returning to school.

Deputies searched his vehicle and found a firearm, according to the department. While Meza was taken into custody without any incident, the young man was handed over to his family.

“The investigation determined that the juvenile was communicating with the suspect via social media,” RCSD Deputy David Aldrich said in a statement at the time. “The victim did not suffer any injuries during the incident.”

Meza was being held at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on $200,000 bail. He had no previous convictions in Riverside County.