Kern County man, 26, posing as a teen online sexually abused 12-year-old girl

Sheyanne N Romero, Visalia Times-Delta
·2 min read
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A Kern County man posing online as a teenager is accused of sexually abusing a Tulare County girl, according to sheriff's deputies.

Around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, deputies were called to a home in Dinuba for a report of child molestation.

Deputies were told a woman walked into her 12-year-old granddaughter's room and found the girl with Genaro Almanza Morales, III. The 26-year-old Shafter man had allegedly molested the girl, according to investigators.

When deputies arrived at the child's home, Morales had fled the area. He was later found at a Shafter gas station by local law enforcement.

Detectives say Morales met the girl online and told her was a teenager. He then drove to her house to meet her. While at the home, detectives said Morales forced the child to engage in sexual acts with him.

Morales was booked into the Tulare County Pretrial Facility for child molestation. He is being held without bail, according to Tulare County inmate records.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Detective Esmeralda Ramos or Sgt. Jessica Zendejas at 733-6218, or they can remain anonymous by calling or texting 725-4194 or through email at tcso@tipnow.com.

Keep your children safe from online predators

  • Discuss internet safety and develop an online safety plan with children before they engage in online activity. Establish clear guidelines, teach children to spot red flags, and encourage children to have open communication with you.

  • Supervise young children’s internet use, periodically checking their profiles and posts. Keep electronic devices in open, common areas of the home and consider setting time limits for their use.

  • Review games, apps, and social media sites before children download or use them. Pay particular attention to apps and sites that feature end-to-end encryption, direct messaging, video chats, file uploads, and user anonymity, frequently relied upon by online child predators.

  • Adjust privacy settings and use parental controls for online games, apps, social medial sites, and electronic devices.

  • Tell children to avoid sharing personal information, photos, and videos online in public forums or with people they do not know. Explain to your children that images posted online will be permanently online.

  • Teach children about body safety and boundaries, including the importance of saying ‘no’ to inappropriate requests both in the physical and virtual worlds.

  • Be alert to potential signs of abuse, including changes in children’s use of electronic devices, attempts to conceal online activity, withdrawn behavior, angry outbursts, anxiety, and depression.

  • Encourage children to tell a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult if anyone asks them to engage in sexual activity or other inappropriate behavior.

  • Immediately report suspected online enticement or sexual exploitation of a child by calling 911, contacting the FBI at tips.fbi.gov, or filing a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or report.cybertip.org

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: 26-year-old man accused of molesting Tulare County girl