Castroville man arrested for child pornography and sexual intercourse with a minor

MONTEREY COUNTY, CA (KION-TV) – A Castroville man is currently in the Monterey County Jail on charges of possession of child pornography, and indecent and lascivious acts with a minor.

Bail for 19-year-old Olidio Antonio Cruz-Pineda has been set at $200,000.

In August 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported that a California resident had uploaded photos of child sexual abuse to Snapchat.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said an internet connection was detected at 13245 Cielo Azul in Castroville. Detectives from the sheriff’s office were then assigned to the Silicon Valley Task Force on Internet Crimes Against Children.

Investigators determined that Cruz Pineda was the owner of the device from which the photos were uploaded.

On January 23rd, detectives from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office of the Sexual Assault and Property Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at the home.

The sheriff’s office said the 19-year-old was arrested without incident. Further investigation revealed that Cruz-Pineda had also raped children under the age of 14.

During the investigation, the MCSO stated that there may be victims who have not been contacted. The victims are believed to have lived in Sand City, Seaside and Monterey sometime between 2017 and 2020.

Anyone with information about this incident or who may have had undue contact with Cruz Pineda is advised to contact Detective Christian Zarate at 831-755-3809 or Detective Sergeant David Vargas at 831-755-3771.