SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 8 (Santa Barbara Times Online) — Santa Barbara County sheriff’s detectives arrested Edward Alessandro Zarate of Santa Maria on June 10 on multiple felony charges in an online-exploitation case, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators said the case began May 28, when detectives opened a probe into alleged online communications with minors. The sheriff’s office said the investigation later led to allegations that Zarate had in-person contact with two juvenile survivors.
On June 18, the sheriff’s office asked anyone with information about the case to contact investigators and said it was seeking additional survivors or witnesses.
In a separate release, the sheriff’s office said detectives also arrested Nathan Abruzzese of Ventura and Martin Luis Rojas of Goleta in April in separate internet-crimes-against-children investigations.
