A Santa Barbara man was arrested Monday afternoon for allegedly arranging to meet a minor for the purpose of lewd acts, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
“At approximately 3:35 p.m., deputies responded to the 6800 block of Hollister Avenue to meet with a reporting party who had been posing as a juvenile online, and arranged to meet with the suspect,” said Raquel Zick, sheriff’s public information officer.
The man, Adam Roberto Escarcega, 34, was detained without incident, Zick said, and was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of soliciting a minor for lewd acts, a felony.
His bail was set at $75,000, and he remained in custody on Tuesday.
Escarcega is a staff member at Adams Elementary School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District and was placed on administrative leave until the district and law enforcement complete their investigations.
“Santa Barbara Unified School District is aware of a video circulating on social media regarding alleged improper behavior by a paraeducator at Adams Elementary,” the school said in a statement.
“We are still learning all the facts regarding this delicate situation and assure parents, students and staff that we are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate these serious allegations.”
No other information about the case was released, and the investigation remained ongoing, Zick said.