OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS RELEASE
INCIDENT: | Man Arrested for the Sexual Assault of a Minor and Luring Minors Using the Internet |
DATE/TIME: | February 7, 2019 / 3:40 p.m. |
LOCATION: | 100 block East Gonzalez Road, Oxnard |
VICTIM(S): | Withheld |
SUSPECT(S): | Emmanuel Carrillo, 21-year-old Oxnard Resident |
PREPARED BY: | David Walker, Sergeant (805) 385-7756 |
CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO: | David Walker, Sergeant david.walker@oxnardpd.org (805) 385-7756 |
DETAILS:
On January 29, 2019, at approximately 11:00 p.m., the Oxnard Police Department was contacted regarding a 12-year-old female who had been sexually assaulted in a vehicle by an adult male in Oxnard. It was learned that the victim had agreed to meet with the male after communicating with him on a popular social media app on the Internet.
Detectives diligently worked the case and identified the suspect as 21-year-old Emmanuel Carrillo of Oxnard. During the investigation, it was discovered that Carrillo was actively using the Internet and social media to entice and lure other minors to meet for the purpose of sexual activity.
On February 7, 2019, at approximately 3:40 p.m., Carrillo was contacted and arrested by officers from the Oxnard Police Department when he arrived at a public place in the 100 block of East Gonzalez Road for a pre-arranged sexual encounter with a 14-year-old female. Carrillo was booked into the Ventura County Jail for violations of 288(a) PC – lewd acts with a child under the age of 14 and 288.4(b) PC – luring a minor for the purpose of lewd or lascivious behavior. His bail was set at $500,000.
This investigation is ongoing and if anyone has further information regarding these or similar incidents, they are strongly encouraged to contact Detective Juanita Suarez at (805) 385-7759.
The Oxnard Police Department is committed to the safety and protection of children who use the Internet, social media, and other computer technologies. Detectives from the Family Protection Unit are part of the ICAC Task Force of Los Angeles. They routinely investigate crimes of online enticement and distribution of child pornography by using specialized techniques to actively seek out predators who use online technology to sexually exploit children.
The detectives who conducted this investigation were members of that task force. They routinely set up accounts on social media platforms and identify themselves as minors to those offenders looking to lure or arrange meetings with underage boys and girls for sexual activity. Sergeant Walker, who supervises the Family Protection Unit at the Oxnard Police Department, said, “We want child predators to know that we’re on social media too and the next child that they target may be an undercover officer waiting for them with handcuffs.”
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program (ICAC) is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing over 4,500 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. These agencies are continually engaged in proactive and reactive investigations and prosecutions of persons involved in child abuse and exploitation involving the Internet.
Police have seen child predators use many online methods to lure children – everything from dating and messaging apps like Tinder, Grindr, Whisper, Kik, Skout, Snapchat, and Instagram to gaming apps like Fortnite and Minecraft. “Just like you are vigilant about a stranger approaching your child in a public place, you need to be equally, if not more, vigilant about the dangers lurking in these new cyber and social media forums,” Sergeant Walker added. Parents and family members have a critical role in keeping children safe by familiarizing themselves with apps popular among young people and making sure they are age-appropriate.
Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7663, the LA Area ICAC Task Force at (562) 624-4027 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Reports can also be submitted to http://www.cybertipline.com, and the information will be forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agency on a nationwide basis.
You can also provide valuable information and remain anonymous by calling Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (1-800-222-8477) or by visiting their website at http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit a tip via text or email.
DATE / TIME PREPARED: February 8, 2019 / 2:30 p.m.