October 6, 2023 - Placer County Sheriff’s Office officials report that their dedicated Special Operations detectives are committed to protecting children in Placer County from sexual predators, especially online. While there are too many lurking behind the screen, our detectives continue to prioritize identifying and arresting offenders to ensure the safety of our children. Over the past several weeks, detectives conducted several operations that resulted in two notable arrests.
On September 7th, an operation conducted by PCSO detectives resulted in the arrest of 55-year-old Johnnie Ward of Sacramento. Ward was sending sexually explicit messages to who he believed was a 14-year-old female and her 12-year-old stepsister. The chat spanned over the course of a week, and he was arrested near his residence for contacting a minor with the intent of having sex, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years, possession of child pornography, and additional related charges.
A week prior on August 31st, detectives conducted another operation where one detective, posing as a 14-year-old boy, asked to meet with the suspect, 26-year-old Garrett Spitzer of Cool. During the online chat, Spitzer requested the undercover detective to meet him physically to engage in lewd and lascivious acts. Spitzer also sent the detective photos of his genitals and requested the detective send nude photos back. The detective, still posing as a 14-year-old boy, mentioned there would be a 16-year-old girl also accompanying him. Spitzer acknowledged his interest in committing lewd and lascivious acts with the underage girl as well. The detective and Spitzer agreed to meet at a location on Bowman Road, in Auburn. Detectives waited for Spitzer to arrive and took him into custody. Spitzer was arrested for sending harmful matter with the intent to seduce a minor, arranging to meet with a minor to engage in a lewd and lascivious act, violating his parole, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14, and other related charges.
Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo weighed in on the issue of child predators saying, “The safety and well-being of our children are paramount for the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. Child predators pose a grave threat to the innocence and security of our children, and we have made it our solemn duty to pursue those who seek to harm them. Our detectives have exhibited unwavering commitment, professionalism, and diligence in their pursuit of these individuals who have the audacity to harm our precious youth. These dedicated men and women have undergone extensive training and have access to cutting-edge technology and resources, all of which they utilize to the fullest extent to identify, apprehend, and bring to justice those who would exploit and harm our children. We must all remain vigilant and continue to work together to protect our children from those who would harm them.”
Parents and guardians, please make yourself aware of your children’s online use and utilize monitoring software/parental controls to help keep your child safe from sexual predators. NetSmartzKids.org is another valuable resource for parents regarding online hazards. The website is run by the National Institute for Missing and Exploited Children and has age-specific education for kids on topics including cyberbullying, gaming, online enticement, social media, live streaming, smartphones, and sexting/sextortion.
If you suspect any suspicious activity or have information related to child predators in our community, please call us immediately at (530) 886-5375.
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Source: Placer County Sheriff’s Office
