Kern County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit– Over the past few months, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit has been conducting an ongoing decoy operation with the goal of apprehending those seeking to sexually victimize minors. Undercover detectives, posing as minor children on various applications and websites, were contacted and solicited by individuals interested in the sexual exploitation of minors.
The following people were arrested for the charges of:
PC 288.3(a) – Contacting a minor with the intent to perform lewd acts
PC 288.4(a)(1) – Arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd acts
PC 288.4(b) – Meeting with a minor with the intention of performing lewd acts
RAUL QUINONES
12/16/89
RONNIE USI
3/31/83
CHAD DROWN
11/18/1988
ROBERT GUTIERREZ
8/21/89
ARTURO RODRIGUEZ
10/09/92
SHAWN PHILLIPS
12/11/86
TOMMY CAMARENA
9/27/96
STEPHEN SOLANO
10/4/66
The following person was arrested for the charges of:
PC 288.2(a)(2) – Harmful matter sent to a minor
PC 288.3(a) – Contacting a minor with the intent to perform lewd acts
PC 288.4(a)(1) – Arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd acts
RICK MCLEAN
6/18/1976
As always, the Sheriff’s Office encourages parents to closely monitor their children’s online activity and use security settings to prevent them from accessing inappropriate websites. The Special Victims Unit and Crime Prevention Unit will continue to educate students, educators, and parents on how to protect themselves on the internet with a common goal: reducing online victimization, increasing the reporting of criminal activity, and providing valuable resources for the community to help guard against those who seek to sexually victimize minors.
If anyone has any information regarding these cases or any other information related to the sexual exploitation of minors, you are urged to contact the Kern County Sheriff’s Office at (661)861-3110 or the Secret Witness at (661)322-4040.
