Fresno Leader

On March 6, detectives from the Fresno Police Department and the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force arrested Geraldo Santos, a 50-year-old resident of Fresno. He was charged with felonies related to contacting a minor for sexual purposes and is being held at Fresno County Jail on $50,000 bail.

The investigation began in February when Santos allegedly approached a 13-year-old girl at a bus stop in Fresno and gave her his phone number. The girl reported the incident to the police, recognizing it as inappropriate. Detectives from Fresno Police, working with ICAC, posed as the child to contact Santos and arranged a meeting under false pretenses for sexual purposes. When Santos arrived at the location, he was taken into custody.

Detectives suspect that Santos may have contacted other children previously, though these incidents were not reported to law enforcement. Anyone with information about Geraldo Santos is encouraged to contact Detective Rosario at (559) 760-6282 or visit www.valleycrimestoppers.org. Informants can remain anonymous and might qualify for a cash reward.

The Sheriff's Office advises parents to stay vigilant regarding potential predators targeting children. They recommend open conversations between parents and children about safety and monitoring children's internet usage closely. Online predators often disguise their identities to exploit victims.

ICAC consists of 66 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies across nine counties in the Central Valley. It focuses on protecting children online and investigating internet-facilitated crimes against them.