California man brought to Rochester to stand trial on child solicitation, harassment charges – ABC 6 News

(ABC 6 News) – A California man appeared in Olmsted County Court Wednesday on charges of soliciting a Rochester child and harassing his parents.

David Padilla, of Pacoima, California, faces three criminal charges: soliciting a child by electronic contact to engage in sexual conduct; engaging in sexual communication regarding or describing sexual behavior with a child; and distribute material by electronic communication connecting two people or describing sexual conduct with a child.

Padilla also faces a gross misdemeanor charge of harassment.

According to court documents, Padilla is accused of having sex with a minor, starting when he was 10 or 11 years old.

Court documents allege that Rochester police began investigating Padilla’s communication with the minor in May 2023, after a man told them that Padilla had spoken with the child “20 times a day.”

The man tried to cut off the call, according to court documents.

A year later, the man told police that Padilla was still in contact with the minor, sent her phones and controlled substances, set timers when he expected the minor to calls and threatened to “show everything” if the man continued to interfere. .

Police allegedly found explicit photos of Padilla in a photo he sent to the minor.

The man who reported the sexual behavior with the minor later told police that Padilla called and texted them from multiple phone numbers, threatened to damage their reputation and told the minor to commit suicide.

“During the thirty minutes immediately preceding the interview with Officer Baker, the defendant had called from six different telephone numbers,” court documents allege. “The officer called the defendant’s last known telephone number, and the defendant answered the call. When asked if he thought sending constant messages and calls to victims was acceptable, he said yes.

Padilla is currently being held at the Olmsted County ADC on $10,000 bail with conditions, including GPS monitoring, or $100,000 bail without conditions.

He is due to appear in court again on December 17.