A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy is sitting in a Stanislaus County jail after investigators say he engaged in explicit online sexual contact with a runaway minor and then showed up for what turned into a planned takedown.
Authorities identified the suspect as 34-year-old Darin Van Arsdale of Lancaster. According to detectives, he was arrested on Monday during a coordinated operation in Calabasas and then transported to Stanislaus County for booking. Van Arsdale is being held on $300,000 bail and faces multiple felony counts tied to the alleged contact with the girl.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office says the case started last Wednesday, when deputies responded to a report of a missing girl who later told authorities she had “inappropriate sexual conversations” online with an adult, according to CBS Sacramento. Investigators allege the suspect first reached out to her on social media, knew she was underage, and requested sexually explicit photos. Detectives say the girl sent those images, and Van Arsdale was later arrested during the planned operation in Calabasas before being booked into the Stanislaus County jail.
Charges and department response
Prosecutors are weighing three felony counts against Van Arsdale: attempted lewd or lascivious acts with a minor; sending harmful matter to a minor with intent to seduce; and communicating with a minor with intent to commit lewd acts, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which employed Van Arsdale at the time of the alleged conduct, says he is no longer on the job while the case plays out. In a statement to CBS Sacramento, the department said, “The Department takes these allegations very seriously and is fully cooperating with the investigation.” Officials confirmed Van Arsdale has been relieved of his duties pending the outcome.
Local context and past cases
The arrest lands in the middle of heightened scrutiny over law enforcement behavior in and around Stanislaus County. Local outlets reported a separate, high-profile deputy investigation in 2025 that led to felony charges, a case that further tested public trust in the sheriff’s office, according to KCRA.
Public records in Los Angeles County filings also list Van Arsdale among deputies who responded to a 2022 officer-involved shooting in Lancaster, underscoring his documented affiliation with the L.A. County sheriff’s department, according to a Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office report.
What happens next
Stanislaus County detectives say the investigation is still active and the sheriff’s office has not released further details about the probe. Van Arsdale remains in custody on $300,000 bail while investigators continue gathering evidence and working with the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office on charging decisions.
Because the alleged conduct involves a minor, all three counts are felonies that carry significant prison time if prosecutors secure convictions. The DA’s office will review the case, decide on formal filings and map out a court schedule as the investigation moves forward.
Anyone with information related to the case is urged to contact the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office.
