Nine arrested in child porn sweep
Photo from Keith Allison, Creative Commons
It is perhaps one of worst crimes imaginable – child pornography. Last week, a dent was made in this problem as nine men – many residing in the Mojave Desert – have been arrested for distribution, solicitation, and possession of child porn.
La Quinta man David Christopher Jelaca had posted an “ad” in Craiglist which said, “Dirty Daddy who likes to share his daughter’s dirty panties.” This was a red flag of sorts, and when undercover agents tried to contact him, he actually responded. He told undercover agents that he actually had sex with a 15-year-old girl. When police searched his home, they found 26,000 images, and 55 videos, all allegedly of child porn.
Another man, 58-year-old Michael Peterson of Ontario, Calif. was found to have one of the largest child porn collections ever, with a half million photos and 7,500 videos.
The investigation of Peterson, who had been distributing videos, led to the arrest of the following: Alexander Scott Bransen,25, of Upland; Bolivar Arnoldo Guillen, 59, of Rancho Cucamonga; Ronald Jaenson, 66, of Colton; John Serrano, 37, of Barstow; Anthony Starkweather, 20, of Mentone; Ronald Sousa, 67, of Cathedral City; and Enrique Garcia, 26, of Hemet. Most of these people were arrested for possession and distribution.
Sentences for having, receiving, and distributing child pornography can be as long as 20 years.
