Sheriff detectives make four arrests

The Madera County Sheriff’s Detectives received information from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) through the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program (ICAC) regarding multiple instances of possession and distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Imagery (CSAI) that was uploaded to the internet in Madera County.

MCSO Detectives immediately initiated an investigation. In one case, detectives discovered that not only were CSAI images being uploaded to the internet, the suspects were also attempting to extort the child victim by various means. In October, two 14-year-old male juveniles were arrested and booked into the Madera County Juvenile Hall for several felony charges, including possession and distribution of CSAI, distribution of harmful matter to a known person, and stalking.

In an unrelated case, MCSO detectives determined CSAI was being uploaded to the internet from a residence in the Madera Ranchos. Following the service of a search warrant at the residence by MCSO detectives and members of the Central Valley ICAC task force, detectives arrested a 15-year-old male and booked him into the Madera County Juvenile Hall for felony charges of possession and distribution of CSAI.

Additionally, MCSO detectives launched an investigation into a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children via the Madera Police Department regarding CSAI being uploaded to the internet in Madera County. Detectives identified a residence in the Riverstone Community of Madera County as the source of the images. Detectives and members of the Central Valley ICAC Task force served a search warrant at the residence and arrested 33-year-old Michael Diaz. He was booked into the Madera County Jail for felony charges of possession and distribution of CSAI.

“I am proud of the extensive work put forth by this investigative team on each of these cases that resulted in multiple arrests of offenders utilizing the internet to victimize children,” said Sheriff Tyson Pogue. “We are grateful to maintain a great working relationship with our partners at the Madera Police Department and Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to facilitate joint investigations in our community.”