MARTINEZ — A Richmond schools employee has been arrested and charged with arranging to sexually abuse a minor, after he allegedly showed up for a meeting with someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl, court records show.
Francisco Garcia, 27, was charged this week with three felonies in connection with the investigation, which involved the use of an undercover officer posing as a teenaged girl. According to a sworn statement signed by a Contra Costa District Attorney investigator, Garcia sent a friend request to the “girl’s” unspecified social media page, then engaged in “sexual conversations” with the undercover officer after being told he was talking to a 13-year-old.
At the time of his arrest, Garcia was working as a student support specialist with the West Contra Costa Unified School District, who worked directly with special needs students. Officials with the district were not immediately available to confirm his emplyment status Thursday afternoon.
According to the sworn statement, Garcia replied “LOL” when the undercover told him she was almost 14, and went on to describe sex acts he wanted to do. He was arrested Dec. 8 after showing up to the Martinez Marina for their planned meeting, and a bottle of personal lubricant was found in his car, according to police.
During their conversations, Garcia sent the undercover officer a selfie picture, which was matched to his driver’s license photo, according to investigators. Authorities haven’t eliminated the possibility that there are victims, but so far none have been identified, according to investigators.
Source: www.mercurynews.com