A 23-year-old Modesto man who worked as a paraeducator at a Riverbank school has been arrested on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and possessing it with intent to distribute, Modesto police said. Noah Refujio Trevizo was taken into custody after a tip reached the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children about a purchase of the material, and the arrest followed an investigation by Modesto Police Department detectives.
Tip Led to Arrest of Riverbank School Employee
According to The Modesto Bee, police arrested Trevizo for possession of child sexual abuse material and possession with intent to distribute after the cyber tip pointed investigators toward him. KCRA reported that police identified Trevizo as the suspect and that he worked as a paraeducator for the Stanislaus County Office of Education at a school in Riverbank. The arrest reportedly took place off district property.
Modesto police have not released the name of the school where Trevizo worked, the station's report notes. Police said there are no known victims at this time associated with schools where Trevizo worked, and per the same account, investigators found no indication that any victims were connected to those school sites.
Education Office Says It Is Cooperating
The Stanislaus County Office of Education said in an emailed statement that it was aware of the arrest and is fully cooperating with law enforcement, according to FOX40. The office said it takes the allegations seriously and is committed to maintaining a safe environment for students, though it added that it would not comment further on the allegations or the evidence involved while the investigation remains active, per KCRA.
Modesto police said they are working with the Stanislaus County Office of Education to gather more information as the case continues. The department has said that children's safety is among its highest priorities and that it is committed to investigating exploitation offenses and holding responsible people accountable, per FOX40's report.
Part of a Broader Push Against Child Exploitation
Trevizo's arrest comes amid a wider local push against child exploitation cases that often begin the same way — with a tip to the national cyber tipline. In a separate investigation, Modesto police said officers arrested 12 people after months-long investigations that also began with reports through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children cyber tipline, according to CBS Sacramento. That earlier operation involved 12 residential search warrants, which led to 12 arrests and three gun recoveries, the outlet reported.
No further details about Trevizo's case, including the specific evidence involved or his current employment status, have been released. The investigation remains active, and officials have not indicated when additional information might be made public.
