District Attorney: Orange County Man Allegedly Groomed Babysitters to Assault Children
Above: File photos of Esparza shared by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office
Authorities in Orange County are calling on the public for assistance in identifying potential child victims of a man accused of a series of crimes involving child exploitation and sexual abuse. Jason Valentine Esparza, 57, reportedly faces multiple felony charges for allegedly grooming women to babysit young children and then molesting the children.
The alleged offenses are believed to have occurred over several decades, prompting authorities to request any relevant information that could aid in the investigation.
According to a press release by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Esparza has been charged with three felony counts of attempted oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child aged 10 years or younger, as well as two felony counts of attempted forcible lewd acts on a child under the age of 14. If convicted on all charges, he could face a maximum sentence of 16 years and four months.
Esparza is being held in lieu of $1 million bail with an arraignment scheduled for today, Friday, April 28.
The investigation into Esparza reportedly began in September 2022 when the Huntington Beach Police Department (HBPD) received an anonymous cyber-tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) program. HBPD Crimes Against Persons Unit detectives took the lead in the eight-month investigation, going undercover as an adult female who claimed to be babysitting a four-year-old girl. During these undercover communications, Esparza allegedly expressed explicit desires to engage in specific sexual acts involving the child.
On April 7 of this year, authorities informed Esparza that the child was present in a hotel room in Huntington Beach. Undercover detectives arrested him upon his arrival at the location. Given the potential duration and scope of his alleged crimes, law enforcement is seeking additional possible victims.
Authorities are urging anyone with relevant information or who may have been victimized by Esparza to come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation. Esparza is originally from Warren, Ohio, and has ties to Huntington Beach, Long Beach, and Fullerton.
Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is encouraged to call the Huntington Beach Police Department WeTip Hotline at 714-375-5066. Tips can also be left anonymously with OC Crime Stoppers at 855-847-6227.
