A Santa Maria man accused of using social media and messaging applications to contact and exploit minors faces five felony charges, but authorities suspect additional victims may exist.

Edward “Eddie” Alessandro Zarate, 20, of Santa Maria is accused of communicating with underage girls online and exchanging sexually explicit material, Raquel Zick, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, said Thursday.

During the investigation that started in late May, detectives learned that Zarate used applications such as Whipd, Purp, Wizz, Snapchat and text messaging to communicate with minors.

Detectives believe Zarate communicated with minors in multiple states, including Florida and Illinois, as well as throughout California. The contacts in California included minors in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Paso Robles, Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Oxnard, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco, according to investigators.

Zarate’s profiles on the apps reportedly portrayed him as a juvenile.

“Once he established communication with minors, he would often encourage them to move conversations off the platform and continue communicating via text message,” Zick said. “During these conversations, Zarate would disclose his true age and identity.”

Zarate allegedly met in person and engaged in lewd acts with two female juveniles, but detectives believe there may be other victims.

Anyone who communicated with Zarate through Whipd, Purp, Wizz, Snapchat, text messaging or other online platforms can call sheriff’s detectives at 805.681.4150. 

Anonymous tips to provide information can be made by calling the tip line at 805.681.4171 or via the online option by clicking here.

The case also serves as a reminder regarding the importance of ongoing conversations between parents and children about online safety, Zick said.

“Parents are encouraged to discuss the risks of communicating with strangers online, sharing personal information, sending photos or videos, and moving conversations from social media platforms to private messaging or text applications,” Zick added. “Regular communication and monitoring of online activity can help protect children from online predators.”

Last week, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint charging Zarate with unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, oral copulation of a person under 18, two counts of possessing child sexual abuse material and sending obscene matter to an underage person.

Zarate pleaded not guilty to the charges and was scheduled to return to court July 23.

On Thursday, Zarate, who was arrested June 10, was being held without bail in the Santa Barbara County Jail.