A Wabasha man is behind bars in Southern California and is now staring down a long list of child exploitation charges, according to local authorities. Police say Michael James Gonzalez was arrested in Murrieta last Friday and is being held there while Minnesota moves to bring him back. Wabasha officers say their investigation started in October 2025 and stressed that keeping kids safe sits at the top of their priority list.
According to a post from the Wabasha Police Department, the arrest in Murrieta came after the department received information from an investigator with the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office. That tip was followed by a search warrant executed last Friday by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office in Murrieta. The post identifies the defendant as Michael James Gonzalez and lists charges that include two counts of soliciting a child through electronic communication, along with eleven counts alleging the use of a minor in a sexual performance involving a child under 14.
How Investigators Say The Case Unfolded
Cases like this often begin far from a local police station, with reports from electronic service providers or concerned members of the public. Those reports are routed to the CyberTipline run by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, then pushed out to Internet Crimes Against Children units across the country for follow up. The CyberTipline operates as the nation’s central clearinghouse for suspected online child exploitation, which helps explain the cross country coordination Wabasha described, as outlined by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Charges, Legal Process And Next Steps
In its public statement, the department says Gonzalez faces two counts of soliciting a child, or a person believed to be a child, through electronic communication to engage in sexual conduct. He also faces eleven counts of using a minor in a sexual performance or pornographic work involving a child younger than 14. He is being held in California while authorities work through the extradition process to return him to Minnesota, according to the Wabasha Police Department. The post underscores that “the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”
Local Department Context
On the city website, the Wabasha Police Department describes itself as a small, community oriented agency focused on public safety and child protection. A reserve unit and local programs bolster a modest full time staff, a setup that makes cooperation with outside agencies more than just a nice to have. That local emphasis framed the department’s public thanks to the Humboldt County and Riverside County agencies that helped move the case forward.
The Facebook post does not include formal court filings, and prosecutors in Minnesota will decide what charges to file and how to handle extradition. For parents and others worried about online enticement or possible abuse, the CyberTipline offers a way to report concerns and explains how tips move from the public to law enforcement, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
