Jury deliberates trial of Lynn man accused of molesting child

SALEM – A jury listened intently this morning as the prosecutor in the trial of a Lynn man accused of molesting an 11-year-old girl reiterated the alleged sexual abuse inflicted on her by a family friend she trusted.?He took advantage of her youth,” Assistant District Attorney Marcia Slingerland said in her closing argument at Salem Superior Court.Salvador Fuentes, 40, of 14 Rock Ave. is charged with four counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 for allegedly performing oral sex on the girl multiple times and later sending her text messages calling her his “love.”Slingerland told jurors the girl had remained quiet about the abuse for over a year because Fuentes told her that if she reported the molestation to her family members, he would stop helping them pay their bills.But defense attorney Stephen Limone argued in his closing statement that the allegations were nothing more than lies told by a “profoundly confused child with a wild imagination.”The jury began deliberations around noon.Stay tuned to www.itemlive.com for updates and read the full story in Wednesday’s Daily Item.