Watsonville man pleas not guilty on charges relating to sexual assault of minors
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Court documents show that 35-year-old Luis Salas of Watsonville is pleading not guilty to more than two dozen charges, some including sexual assault and kidnapping.
Salas will remain in custody until his next court appearance scheduled for November 14, according to officials.
Deputies said that Salas was arrested on September 3 after detectives were alerted to reports of an adult male selling drugs to minors. They say that during the investigation, deputies discovered multiple victims throughout Santa Cruz County.
How Watsonville is addressing online safety concerns after juvenile sexual assault suspect arrested; Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office announced Monday that they've arrested 35-year-old Luis Salas of Watsonville on charges related to sexual assault of minors.
According to deputies, Salas was arrested on September 3 around 9 a.m. after detectives were alerted to reports of an adult male selling drugs to minors. They say that during the investigation, deputies discovered multiple victims throughout Santa Cruz County.
The Sheriff's Office said that Salas was using social media like Snapchat to lure victims, and that he was operating under the Snapchat handles “Cookies_squad,” “Penjaminpookie” and “LuciousLouie.”
"Due to the sensitivity and seriousness of the allegations, we are working in collaboration with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education to ensure that the schools and guardians of students are aware of the arrest," wrote the Sheriff's Office in a Facebook post Monday.
This situation raising significant concerns among parents and school officials about the safety of children on social media.
School officials are urging families to have an open conversation with their youth about the risks of social media and what safety precautions to take.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's office arrested 35 year old Luis Alberto Salas on sexual assault and kidnapping charges in September.
This prompted school districts across the county to send out warnings to families.
Authorities say the investigation involves multiple victims.
"We do believe there are additional victims out there and our hopes are that they'll see this and and be able to start that communication with us so we can hold Mr. Salas accountable for what he's done," Ashley Keehn Santa Cruz County Sheriff's office said.
Investigators say the victims in these cases were very widespread, from Scotts Valley to south Santa Cruz County.
In response to this alarming case, the County Office of Education has issued a letter urging parents to utilize resources focused on cybersecurity awareness and online safety, warning parents about the dangers lurking on social media.
"We teach them not to give out personal information, we talked to them about not agreeing to meet up with anyone that they've met on line and always working with a trusted adult," Faris Sabbah Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools said. If there's any concerning behavior that is making them feel unsafe."
County education leaders are urging to have open conversations with their children about online safety.
"It's scary, going online yourself and getting with other parents or in your community or through the schools, there just needs to be a whole army of people involved," Scott Seeger-Strum from Watsonville said.
School officials have announced that more than a dozen teachers are participating in a program called shift to add an initiative to train educators across the region on how to effectively implement digital literacy practices in the classroom.
"We work so that students are developing the skills to be able to navigate and protect themselves and also make sure that if there's something that makes them uncomfortable, that they're contacting an adult and getting help with that," Sabbah said.
The Sheriff's Office said that multiple agencies have come together to work on this case, including the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Watsonville Police Department, Santa Cruz Police Department, Capitola Police Department and Scotts Valley Police Department.
Deputies say that Salas' arrest included contacting a minor with the intent for sex, kidnapping and false imprisonment charges, and that he is currently being held in custody without bail.
Detectives believe that there are more victims that they have not spoken to yet, and encourage anyone with information to contact dispatch at 831-471-1121.
