On Thursday, March 6th, detectives with the Fresno Police Department and the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force arrested 50 year old Geraldo Santos of Fresno.
He was booked into the Fresno County Jail. He faces felony charges related to contacting a minor for the purpose of sex. His bail is $50,000.
In February, a man later identified as Geraldo Santos, approached a 13 year old girl at a bus stop in Fresno and gave her his phone number. The girl recognized this was inappropriate and immediately reported this incident to Fresno Police. Detectives with Fresno Police worked with ICAC on the investigation to identify the suspect. Posing as the child, detectives contacted the suspect and made an agreement to meet at an undisclosed location for sexual purposes. Santos arrived and detectives took him into custody.
Detectives believe Santos may have contacted other children in the past, but these instances were never reported to law enforcement. If you or someone you know has any information to share about Geraldo Santos, please contact Detective Rosario at (559) 760-6282, www.valleycrimestoppers.org You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public to be vigilant when it comes to potential predators taking advantage of children. Parents should have open conversations with their children every day. It’s also important to monitor a child’s internet usage and be aware of the software apps and social media sites they are visiting. Online predators often pretend to be someone else in order to lure their victims in and take advantage of them. Teach children to be wary of the person on the other end of the chat line; many times, people are not who they say they are. Report any concerning behavior to law enforcement right away.
*ICAC is comprised of 66 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies spread throughout nine counties in the Central Valley. It is dedicated to protecting children online and investigating crimes committed against children, which are facilitated by the Internet and computer usage.
