Carlos Rodriguez, 25, was arrested Tuesday after Santa Ana detectives said he used the internet to solicit adult men to engage in lewd acts with his juvenile niece. Investigators with the department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit flagged the alleged online activity, obtained a search warrant and moved in. Rodriguez was booked on a charge under Penal Code §266j - offering a child for purposes of lewd and lascivious acts, according to the department.
Police statement and arrest details
In a social media statement, the Santa Ana Police Department said an investigator with its ICAC Task Force learned Rodriguez had allegedly been soliciting adult males to meet his juvenile niece, prompting detectives to seek and serve a search warrant. Officers served that warrant at a residence, seizing multiple electronic devices from the home before taking Rodriguez into custody, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
Task force response and local reporting
Local coverage reports that the online messages were flagged and immediately passed to a task force detective, allowing investigators to step in before any sexual contact occurred, per AOL. The outlet notes Rodriguez was booked into the Santa Ana Jail on suspicion of offering a child for lewd and lascivious acts.
The Santa Ana Police Department is part of the Los Angeles Regional ICAC network, a coalition that coordinates investigations of technology-facilitated child exploitation across dozens of agencies, according to the ICAC Task Force website.
Legal context
Penal Code §266j makes it a felony in California to provide or offer a child under 16 for lewd or lascivious acts. The statute outlines potential state prison terms and can factor into registration requirements and enhanced penalties, according to FindLaw. A conviction can bring prison time and long-term legal fallout if prosecutors move ahead with the case.
How the public can help
Santa Ana police are asking anyone with information about the investigation to contact the department’s ICAC Task Force at [email protected]. Tips can also be submitted through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline, which supports ICAC investigations nationwide.
