Santa Cruz police search for additional victims of arrested sexual predator
SANTA CRUZ (CBS SF) -- Police in Santa Cruz on Monday asked the public for help finding additional victims of a suspected sexual predator who was arrested in March.
Police said they arrested the male suspect, identified as 36-year-old Santa Cruz County resident Victor Calderon, for soliciting a minor for sex through an Instagram account with the user name @raulrochasancho. On March 14, police investigators were made aware of an individual using the Instagram account to reach out to underage female middle school students and attempting to arrange meetings to have sex.
Detectives immediately conducted an investigation through interviews, search warrants, and surveillance, identifying Calderon as the suspect. During the investigation, Calderon attempted to lure a 14-year-old middle school student to a predetermined location with the intent to engage in sexual activity. On March 24, Calderon arrived at the specified place to meet up with the minor, but was swiftly intercepted by SCPD detectives and arrested without incident.
Victor Calderon Rosales is currently in custody at the Santa Cruz County Main Jail and is facing multiple charges of soliciting a minor for sex. During the investigation, detectives discovered several other underage female victims who identified Calderon as the suspect reaching out to underage girls with sexual intent.
Additional evidence obtained with assistance from the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office has led detectives to believe that Calderon may have previously met with and engaged in sexual acts with teenage girls. Police are asking anyone who may be a victim or who may know someone who met up with Victor Calderon or was contacted on Instagram by @raulrochasancho to get in touch with the SCPD School Resource Officer Elliott Rock at (831) 420-5835 or by email Erock@cityofsantacruz.com. Anonymous tips can be sent through the SCPD Tip Line (831) 420-5995 or www.santacruzpolice.com.
Santa Cruz police encourage parents to talk to their teens about appropriate social media use. Parents should remind them their social media safety is directly related to the personal information they share. Parents should set privacy settings, advise teens to be selective about friend requests and teach them never to agree to meet anyone they met online.
