San Fernando Valley - On September 29, 2000, detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Juvenile Division were contacted by a distraught San Fernando Valley mother who related that her 13-year-old son had been in a chat room with a man that she did not know. After reviewing her son’s Internet communications, the mother discovered that an adult male had expressed his love for her son, sent him sexually explicit photographs and provided his telephone number. The Internet predator wanted her son to leave home and be with him. The angry mother contacted the predator and told him to leave her son alone. However, the predator continued to send e-mail and Instant Messages to her son.

Detectives from the Sexually Exploited Child Unit (SECU) investigated the case and assumed the Internet identity and persona of the child. During the weeks that followed, the suspect regularly communicated with the detective’s persona, professing his love for him and sending sexually explicit messages, images, and expressed a desire to meet and engage in sexual acts with someone he thought was 13 years old. The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Aldo Jimenez.

On January 2, 2001, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Peggy Beckstrand filed two felony counts of attempted lewd acts with a child under 14, and sending harmful matter with the intent to seduce a minor. Upon conviction of each count, Jimenez faces a state prison sentence and a lifetime requirement to register as a sex offender.

On January 5, 2001, SECU investigators, with the assistance of officers from the Glendale Police Department, arrested Jimenez at his Glendale residence. Jimenez was booked at Parker Center on the $50,000 warrant. He will be arraigned in Van Nuys this afternoon.

For further information, contact Detective Dale Barraclough, Sexually Exploited Child Unit at 213-485-2883.

This press release was prepared by Public Information Officer Jason Lee, Media Relations Section 213-485-3586.