CA - Sylmar man arrested for molestation, police suspect more victims

by Kelly Goff, Los Angeles Daily News
Posted: 08/23/13, 8:22 AM PDT | Updated: 13 hrs ago

http://www.dailynews.com/apps/pbcsi....h=400&maxw=667

A Sylmar man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of molesting two children baby-sat by his mother in the apartment they shared, and police say there are at least four more known victims.

Israel Sanchez, 47, allegedly rigged his bedroom with cameras and intended to distribute video of the molestations online, authorities say. Earlier in the week, agents from the Department of Homeland Security and the Los Angeles Police Department’s Mission Division served a search warrant on the apartment, looking for child pornography it suspected he had sent over the Internet.

Evidence recovered from seized computers and cameras showed at least two children being molested by Sanchez. One child is 18 months, and the other is 10 years old. Police said both children were in the apartment because Sanchez’s mother baby-sits neighborhood kids. She does not appear to have been involved or aware of the molestations.

Their parents were unaware the children had been molested and are cooperating with police.

Now, police say, they suspect there are other victims and are asking anyone with information to contact them. Several parents called the police station Friday, saying they suspect their child might be one of the other four victims.

“The videos show six children, and right now we have identified two,” said Detective Nicole Kittle of LAPD’s Mission Division. “What we’re hoping is that if parents see him or realize their children have been baby-sat there, that they will come forward and we can identify the other four and file additional charges.”

Sanchez has been charged with one count of annoying a child under the age of 14 in the case of the 18-month-old child and charges are expected to be filed in the case of the 10-year-old next week.

His bail has been set at $100,000, but he is being retained because of an immigration hold by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to Sheriff’s Department records.

http://www.dailynews.com/general-new...t-more-victims

August 23, 2013
Jovana Lara

MISSION HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The adult son of a babysitter in Sylmar was charged with molesting children and taping it with the intention of posting the footage online.

Israel Sanchez, 47, was arrested and booked for molestation and annoying a child under 14 years old. His bail was set at $100,000.

The case began as a Homeland Security investigation related to suspected child pornography. Investigators served a search warrant on the apartment Sanchez shares with his mother and seized computers and cameras. Federal officials believed Sanchez was transmitting child pornography through the Internet, which is a federal crime.

Local police got involved when federal agents found evidence of at least two children being molested by Sanchez. According to Lt. Paul Vernon with LAPD's Mission Detective Division, the victims are believed to be children who Sanchez's mother was babysitting. Vernon said Sanchez's room was rigged with cameras to record the molestation for distribution online.

One of the victims is 18 months old and the other is 10 years old. LAPD Detective Nicole Kittle says authorities still need identify four other children seen in one of the videos.

"It's possible that there are additional victims, additional videos," said Kittle.

A family whose two young girls often stayed with Sanchez's mother declined to speak on camera, but said they can't believe the charges against their neighbors. Police asked them to have their daughters seen by a doctor.

Authorities say Sanchez is an alien resident, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been notified. Sanchez has lived at the same apartment with his mother since 1995.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?se...les&id=9216462