Hi-Tech Task Force Arrests 12 Suspects for Alleged Downloading of Child Sexual Abuse Material
Mugshots of suspects | Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office
“The Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force completed a two-week Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) operation that focused on proactively identifying and investigating suspects who downloaded Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) to their personal devices and computers. The Task Force is comprised of 18 local agencies, which include the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Rancho Cordova Police Department, Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, Citrus Heights Police Department, Sacramento Police Department, San Joaquin Sheriff’s Office, Elk Grove Police Department, Folsom Police Department, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Roseville Police Department, Rocklin Police Department, Placer County District Attorney’s Office, El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol (CHP) – CCIU, California Department of Justice, Sacramento County Probation, Vacaville Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Sacramento.
Detectives arrested 12 suspects in the Sacramento Valley region who were determined to have downloaded and be in possession of CSAM along with a variety of other charges, including:
- PC 311.11(a) – Possession of Child Pornography (Felony)
- PC 311.1(a) – Distribution of Child Pornography (Felony)
- PC 311.4(d) – Production/Manufacturing of Child Pornography (Felony)
- PC 288(a) – Lewd act with a child under the age of 14 (Felony)
- PC 288(b)(1) – Lewd acts with a minor by force or fear (Felony)
- PC 29800(a)(1) – Felon in Possession of a Firearm
- PC 30305(a)(1) – Felon in Possession of Ammunition
Many of the targeted suspects were found to be in possession of horrendous CSAM files that depicted sexual images of infants and toddlers who were forced to engage in sexual abuse, including some that involved bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, and sadomasochism (BDSM). Tens of thousands of CSAM images and videos were recovered during this operation, where one suspect had over 5TB of CSAM. Detectives also recovered videos and images of unknown suspects urinating on infants and toddlers.
One suspect, Josh Sevilla (40, Citrus Heights), was also identified as a suspect in a “hands-on” offense with a minor. At the conclusion of the investigation, Sevilla was charged with 12 counts of PC 288(b)(1) – Lewd acts with a minor by force or fear, eight counts of PC 288(a) – Lewd acts with a minor under the age of 14, and PC 311.11(a) – Possession of Child Pornography.
The Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force is committed to protecting our children and our communities. ICAC Detectives will continue to deploy proactive investigative techniques to identify suspects who are downloading and sharing CSAM and participating in the continual physical and mental abuse of children.
If you think your children or children you know may have spent any time around these individuals, please contact the Sheriff’s Office at 916-874-5115.
Arrested as a result of Operation Monster Mash (Photos Attached):
- SANTOS ABRAHAM SANCHEZ – Arrested 53 Years Old, X-5067710
- GARY PAUL GAUTHIER 63 Years Old, X-4018501
- CHRISTOPHER KENT BOWMAN 38 Years Old, X-4948546
- JOSH STEVEN SEVILLA 40 Years Old, X-3735895
- JOSEPH JOHN DEANGELIS 53 Years Old, X-2330042
- MICHAEL BRADFORD STEALEY 45 Years Old, X-4655355
- JOSHUA ALAN AKINS 35 Years Old, X-5470708
- THOMAS RIDER PLOWRIGHT 55 Years Old, X-5470712
- MARC KEVIN FLORESCA 32 Years Old, X-4995021
- MATTHEW TODD BERG 35 Years Old, X-3028868
- ROBERT OWEN GUNWALL 50 Years Old, X-5259285
- JAMES STANELY SKAGGS 60 Years Old, X-2503151”
