Undercover investigation leads to arrest of Inland Empire man trying to meet a minor for sex
Police arrested a man on Friday after an undercover operation revealed he was trying to meetup with a teenager for sexual purposes.
On Friday at around 4:30 p.m,. deputies with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department were sent to Nicolas Road Park, located in the 39000 block of Nicolas Road in Temecula after learning that an adult was in the area to meet with a minor, according to a statement from the department.
They received the information from a tip, deputies said. They arrived to find a crowd of about 20 juveniles that were recording the encounter.
The man, a 46-year-old Homeland resident named William Vandenbush, was arrested at the scene and booked on suspicion of sending harmful matter to a minor, contacting a minor for sexual purposes and arranging to meet with a minor for sexual purposes, deputies said.
Despite the arrest, RSO officials strongly discouraged residents from conducting their own undercover investigations.
"This action unnecessarily jeopardized the safety of everyone in the vicinity of the park," a statement said in regards to the crowd of people that gathered.
Anyone who may know more about the incident is asked to contact investigators at (951) 696-3000.