From the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office
During the month of October 2022, Thousand Oaks Police School Resource Officers (SRO’s) contacted a female juvenile. Deputies learned the juvenile was being harassed persistently by an adult. Deputies identified Lino Valle, a Newbury Park resident, as the suspect in the investigation.
Valle sent the juvenile numerous illicit images, via social media. Valle offered to pay the juvenile money if she performed sexual acts with him. Valle pressured the juvenile to send nude photographs to him. The juvenile became more uncomfortable by Valle’s behavior and reported the behavior to law enforcement.
Detectives discovered further evidence linking Valle to the crime. Detectives assigned to the Thousand Oaks Sexual Assault Unit conducted a ruse. During the ruse, Valle agreed to meet the juvenile for the purpose of having sexual intercourse with the juvenile. Valle was contacted during the ruse and ultimately taken into custody.
Valle was booked at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility. He remains in custody on the following charges: 288.2(a)(2) PC Sending Harmful Matter to a Minor, 288.3(a) PC Child Luring, 288.4(b) PC Child Luring, 524 PC Attempted Extortion and 11377(a) HS Possession of a Controlled Substance. Valle is being held on $500,000 bail.
This investigation is currently ongoing. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office believes there could be additional victims. If you have any information regarding Lino Valle or this case, please contact Detective Greg Webb of the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Sexual Assault Unit at 805-371-8309.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind parents to remain vigilant as to their children’s social media and internet activities to keep them safe from predators and that there are resources that can assist them in keeping their children safe by teaching them about internet safety. The best tool we have to prevent internet crimes against children is education.
