San Diego Man Who Posed as “Twilight” Actor Heads to Prison

David LaVera, 33, posed as "Twilight" actor Kiowa Gordon, using the guise to lure a teenage girl in Iowa

A San Diego man accused of posing as an actor from the "Twilight" movies was sentenced Monday to 10 years in an Iowa prison for sexual abuse.

David LaVera, 34, was in Iowa last spring when he visited two schools and posed as "Twilight" actor Kiowa Gordon.

LaVera was arrested on June 10, 2014  in Baxter, Iowa, after he inappropriately touched and tried to lure a 14-year-old girl into his car.

A friend of the teen's mother stopped him, getting the girl out of his vehicle, according to local television reports. WHOtv reported that LaVera sped off, but was caught and arrested by police minutes later. Police found two swords and several daggers in his car.

The Newton Daily News a federal judge on Friday rejected a plea deal LaVera made with U.S. prosecutors, saying the punishment wasn't severe enough.

In March LaVera pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges. The plea deal called for more than five years in prison, plus 10 years of supervised release.

Prior to his arrest, LaVera’s act as a Hollywood movie star was so convincing that two schools fell for his trick.

Actor Kiowa Gordon is known for his role as Embry Call in the “Twilight” movies.

Following LaVera's arrest in June, Gordon apologized to fans via Twitter.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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