A Santa Barbara man has been arrested on child molestation charges involving a 14-year-old girl from Oakland.
Carlos Albert Seijas, 42, faces felony charges of child molestation of a child 14 or 15 years of age by a person at least 10 years older, oral copulation with a person under the age of 16 by a person over 21 years of age, and penetration with a foreign object (digital penetration) with a person under the age of 16 by a person over 21 years of age.
Santa Barbara police Sgt. Riley Harwood said the victim and her mother, who are both from Oakland but come to Santa Barbara occasionally to visit the girl’s grandmother, reported the incidents to police on July 16.
According to Harwood, a police investigation revealed that the victim left her grandmother’s home, near downtown, about 8 p.m. July 14 to walk to the wharf. While on State Street, she befriended Seijas and they walked to the wharf together.
Seijas allegedly purchased a bottle of vodka and a sports beverage to mix with it, and the two went to the beach under the wharf, consumed the alcohol and talked, according to the victim.
She told police that she informed the suspect that she was 14 years old, and that the suspect initially said he was 29, then said he was 38.
The girl told investigators she was heavily intoxicated by 10 p.m., and that under the wharf she engaged in consensual kissing and fondling with the suspect. She said Seijas offered to take her to his home on East Montecito Street, and she agreed.
At the home, they continued kissing and fondling when, according to the victim, Seijas expressed his desire to have sex. The victim said she didn’t object because she needed a place to stay for the night. Investigators learned that the victim and the suspect engaged in consensual sex three times.
The victim told police that in the morning Seijas walked the victim most of the way to her grandmother’s home, where she was confronted by her aunt and grandmother about her whereabouts. She explained where she had been, and her mother later took her daughter to the Police Department to report the incident, according to Harwood.
He said the victim was put in contact with an advocate from the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center, and arrangements were made for her to undergo a forensic medical examination.
Once home in Oakland, the victim was shown a photo lineup with help from the Oakland Police Department and identified Seijas as the suspect.
Investigators served a search warrant at Seijas’ residence on July 18. He wasn’t home at the time, but later contacted police about why his home was searched.
According to Harwood, Seijas acknowledged most of the victim’s statement, but initially denied having sex with her and said he thought she was 18 or 19 years old. Interviewed again later, after being arrested for the warrant, he reportedly admitted having sex with the victim and that he was aware of her age, according to Harwood.
Seijas was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail. Bail was set at $100,000.
— Noozhawk managing editor Michelle Nelson can be reached at mnelson@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.