A 63-year-old Napa man is behind bars after investigators say he worked at a local Napa establishment where minors are present, even as detectives allege he was trying to sexually exploit children online. Robert Taylor Free was booked into the Napa County Department of Corrections following a joint search of his Harkness Street home last month, and his bail has been set at $50,000, according to the Napa County Sheriff's Office.
The case began when the Solano County Sheriff's Office discovered that Free was allegedly attempting to sexually exploit children online, as reported by KRON4. Because Free is a Napa County resident, the Napa County Sheriff's Office took over the investigation from its Solano County counterparts. Detectives from both agencies then executed a search warrant at his home in the 3600 block of Harkness Street in July, according to Patch.
During that search, detectives seized personal electronics from Free's home and say they found illegal material stored on his computer. Free worked at a local Napa establishment where minors are present, though the identity of that workplace and whether his role gave him unsupervised access to children have not been disclosed by investigators.
What Investigators Found and How the Case Moved Forward
Under California law, possession of child sexual abuse material can include digital files stored on computer hardware, cloud storage, smartphones, or other personal electronic media under a suspect's control, per Eisner Gorin LLP. Prosecutors must show a suspect knowingly held or controlled that material, which explains why detectives seized Free's electronics rather than relying on the initial cyber tip alone. A conviction under California Penal Code Section 311.11 can bring up to three years in state prison or county jail, fines as high as $10,000, and mandatory lifelong sex offender registration, according to My Rights Law.
Napa County Sheriff's Detective J. Pinedo is leading the investigation and is asking anyone with information related to the case to call (707) 299-1502. Detective Jose Pinedo was named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year by VFW Post 1123 in 2022 while serving in American Canyon, and he routinely handles high-profile child exploitation and homicide cases, according to a bulletin distributed via GovDelivery.
A Recurring Pattern of Cases in Napa and Solano Counties
Free's arrest follows a string of similar cases across the North Bay. Just two months earlier, the Napa County Sheriff's Office arrested 36-year-old Napa resident Oscar Barrera Mendoz for possession of child sexual abuse material after receiving a cyber tip, the agency said in a post on its Facebook page. In March 2025, deputies arrested 77-year-old Napa resident Lawrence Allyan Meyers on child pornography charges at his home, with bail also set at $50,000, as Hoodline previously reported.
That same month, Napa County deputies arrested suspect Paul Gamboa at his workplace in upvalley Napa County after finding over 600 files of alleged child sexual abuse material linked to him, according to information released by Napa County. Across the county line, Solano County sheriff's detectives arrested 83-year-old Rio Vista resident Michael Hartwig in late 2024 after an ICAC raid uncovered more than 1,000 alleged CSAM images on his devices, a case Hoodline also covered.
How These Tips Reach Local Detectives
Cyber tips regarding online child exploitation in Northern California are typically coordinated through the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, led by the San José Police Department, which relays reports to local sheriff's offices. That regional pipeline helps explain how a tip originating in Solano County led detectives to Free's home in Napa.
California Assembly Bill 506, enacted in 2021 and codified under Business and Professions Code Section 18975, requires employees and regular volunteers at youth-serving organizations to undergo Live Scan fingerprint background checks and child abuse prevention training, according to Capital Live Scan. It remains unclear whether that requirement applied to Free's position at the Napa establishment where he worked, and investigators have not said whether they have identified any local victims. The Napa County Sheriff's Office has asked anyone with information related to the case to come forward.
