Photo: Raul Garcia
August 24, 2020 – Ventura County, Ca.
Proving once again the necessity for parents to monitor the online activities of their children, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Dillan Alvarez announced the arrest of 26-year-old Thousand Oaks resident Raul Garcia on suspicion of multiple sexual assault and predatory crimes.
It all began in December of 2019, when Thousand Oaks High School Resource Officers received information about an unknown male sending “sexually explicit photos and videos” to female students, all under the age of 16. The ensuing investigation was a 9-month-long hunt for the suspect and eventually lead to the identification of Garcia as the prime suspect.
Once Garcia was identified, detectives conducted a warrant search of his residence. That search revealed “three additional female juvenile victims” who had earlier been physically assaulted by Garcia. It was determined that Garcia used online social media platforms to “prey on juvenile victims and lure them into personal meetings” where he would commit sexual assaults.
Garcia was taken into custody and transported to Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on multiple charges, including Sending Harmful Matter to a Minor, Unlawful Sexual Intercourse, Using a Minor for Sexual Acts, Possession of Child Pornography, Assault of a Minor, and Genital Penetration by a Foreign Object. He remains in custody with his bail set at $250,000.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
