2019 Fall Internet Crimes Against Children Arrests 19-131
Investigators with the San Francisco Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit have observed an increase in the amount of online sexual exploitation cases reported during the summer and the back to school months. In response to this threat, the ICAC Unit began closely monitoring social media sites and mobile applications that children use frequently, as well as finding and locating subjects in possession of and distributing child exploitation material.
Through the on-going operations, the ICAC Unit arrested twelve individuals, including a juvenile.
Case # 1
In the summer of 2018 SFPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit began an investigation into an individual who was storing thousands of child pornography files in several cloud-based storage accounts.
As a result of the investigation, the ICAC Unit was able to identify the individual who was storing child pornography as Arturo Salamanca, a 36-year-old San Francisco resident.
On July 12, 2019, SFPD investigators and State Parole agents took Salamanca into custody. He was charged with several child pornography charges and was remanded into custody. On September 12, 2019, Salamanca was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of child pornography. He was then remanded into the custody US Marshals Service.
Case #2
In the summer of 2019, the SFPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit was made aware of an individual who was attempting to meet and have sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl through online social media. The individual was identified as Oscar Mendoza, a 26-year-old Mill Valley resident.
On July 29, 2019, Mendoza was taken into custody by SFPD Investigators when he attempted to meet with and have sexual contact with the child in San Francisco. He was charged with arranging a meeting with a minor for sexual contact, going to an arranged meeting with a minor for sexual contact, and for communicating with a minor for sexual contact.
Case #3
In the summer of 2019 several SFPD patrol units were dispatched to the 2500 block of Mission Street regarding an individual acting erratically. Upon arrival, they came into contact with Antoine Conners, a 33-year-old San Francisco resident. During the contact, Conners told officers that he had child pornography on his cellphone. Conners’ cellphone was seized and he was evaluated by San Francisco Fire Department medics.
The SFPD ICAC Unit took over the investigation. It was determined that Conners was in possession of child pornography on his cellphone, and was also storing child pornography in several cloud-based storage accounts.
An arrest warrant for the possession of child pornography was issued for Conners and on August 14, 2019, Conners was arrested for his warrant.
Case #4
In the summer of 2019 SFPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit began an investigation into an individual who was trading child pornography through the chatting application Discord, which frequently used by children.
As the result of the investigation, the ICAC Unit executed a search warrant at a residence on the 2200 block of Lyon Street.
During the search warrant, numerous devices were located that contained hundreds of child pornography images and videos. The devices were determined to belong to one of the residents, Dewitt Burnham, age 64. Burnham was arrested for the possession of child pornography and with enhancements for having over 600 files of child pornography.
Case #5
In the fall of 2019, the SFPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit was made aware of an individual who was attempting to meet and have sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl through online social media. The individual was identified as Haval Kotrush, a 25-year-old San Francisco resident.
On September 2, 2019, Kotrush was taken into custody by SFPD Investigators when he attempted to meet and have sexual contact with the child in San Francisco. He was charged with arranging a meeting with a minor for sexual contact, going to an arranged meeting with a minor for sexual contact, and for communicating with a minor for sexual contact.
Case #6
In the summer of 2019, the SFPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit was made aware of an individual who was attempting to meet and have sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl through online social media.
The individual was identified as Robert Thornton, a 64-year-old Vallejo resident.
It was determined that Thornton had attempted to send numerous sexually explicit images to the minor.
On September 2, 2019, Thornton was taken into custody by SFPD Investigators when he attempted to meet with and have sexual contact with the child in San Francisco. He was charged with arranging a meeting with a minor for sexual contact, going to an arranged meeting with a minor for sexual contact, sending harmful material to a minor, and for communicating with a minor for sexual contact.
Case #7
In the fall of 2019 SFPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit began an investigation into an individual who was trading child pornography through the chatting application Kik messenger, which is frequently used by children.
As a result of the investigation, the ICAC Unit executed a search warrant at a residence on the 1200 block of Athens Street.
During the search warrant, a cellphone was located that contained hundreds of child pornography images and videos. The cellphone was determined to belong to one of the residents, Antonio Villarreal, age 21. Villareal was arrested for the possession of child pornography and with enhancements for having over 600 files of child pornography.
Case #8
In the fall of 2019, the SFPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit was made aware of an individual who was attempting to meet and have sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl through online social media. The individual was identified as Jose Velasquez-Sop, a 31-year-old San Francisco resident.
On October 2, 2019, Velasquez-Sop was taken into custody by SFPD Investigators when he attempted to meet with and have sexual contact with the child in San Francisco. He was charged with arranging a meeting with a minor for sexual contact, going to an arranged meeting with a minor for sexual contact, and for communicating with a minor for sexual contact.
Case #9
In the fall of 2019 SFPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit began an investigation into an individual who was trading child pornography through the chatting application Skype messenger, frequently used by children.
As a result of the investigation the ICAC Unit executed a search warrant of a residence on the 3300 block of 17th Street.
During the search warrant, numerous devices were located that contained hundreds of child pornography images and videos. The devices were determined to belong to one of the residents, Jack Carlson, age 34. Carlson was arrested for the possession of child pornography and with enhancements for having over 600 files of child pornography.
Case #10
In the fall of 2019 SFPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit began an investigation into an individual who was storing child pornography in a cloud storage account, and was also trading child pornography on Facebook.
During the investigation, it was determined that the individual was David Magana, a thirty-six (36) year-old San Francisco resident.
SFPD investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Magana for two counts of possession of child pornography, four counts of distribution of child pornography, and for enhancements for having over 600 files of child pornography.
MAGANA was eventually located at a business on the 500 block of Columbus Avenue and he was taken into custody. When he was taken into custody, a cellphone was found in his possession which contained hundreds of child pornography files.
Magana was arrested and booked for his arrest warrant, and for additional charges of possession of child pornography.
Case #11
The SFPD ICAC Unit investigates cases involving juveniles committing acts of cyberbullying and harassment against other juveniles. Though many of the cases involve violations of the law, the ICAC Unit works closely with schools, counselors, and parents to resolve the issue through mediation that does not place the juveniles in the legal system. There are rare cases where the behavior is malicious and vicious, that the ICAC Unit takes legal action.
In the summer of 2019, a parent reported to SFPD that their middle school child was being harassed and extorted for sexually explicit images by a juvenile in high school.
The subsequent investigation determined that the juvenile suspect threatened with harm, and further threatened to post the sexually explicit images on publicly available online platforms. After the child sent the images, the juvenile suspect demanded more, and when the child refused, the juvenile suspect posted the compromising photos of a publicly viewable photo-sharing application.
The case was reviewed by the SF District Attorney’s Office Juvenile Division and the Juvenile Probation Department.
On October 24, 2019, the juvenile suspect was cited and released into the custody of their parents for several violations for causing emotional distress to a minor and for harassing a minor.
Case #12
In the fall of 2019 SFPD Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit began an investigation into an individual who was trading child pornography through the chatting application Kik messenger, which is frequently used by children. As a result of the investigation the ICAC Unit executed a search warrant of a residence on the 500 block of Scott Street.
During the search warrant, numerous devices were located that contained hundreds of child pornography images and videos. The devices were determined to belong to one of the residents, Cesar Ayala, age 37. Ayala was arrested for the possession of child pornography with enhancements for having over 600 files of child pornography.
Booking photos for the adult defendants being prosecuted in California Superior Court accompany this news release except for cases #5 and #9 due to pending identification matters. The booking photo for the defendant being prosecuted in Federal Court is not being released due to pending identification matters.
While arrests have been made in these cases, anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD 24 hour tip line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.