UC Merced Employee Accused Of Sending Sexually Explicit Photos To Oakdale Children

OAKDALE (CBS13) — An employee of UC Merced was arrested after investigators discovered he had been sending illicit photos to underage children who live in Oakdale with the intent of having sex with them, authorities said Wednesday.

David Michael Yaranon, 21, faces charges of annoying or molesting a child under 18 years of age, showing or sending harmful material to seduce a minor and contacting a minor to commit a felony, according to the Oakdale Police Department.

UC Merced police contacted Oakdale police last year when they learned where the victims had lived. Oakdale police went to the campus this week to arrest Yaranon but he had not shown up for work.

Investigators later located Yaranon at his home and took him into custody.

Yaranon is accused of contacting multiple victims online. The three victims were between the ages of 13 and 15. Once Yaranon learned the victims were minors, he then sent them multiple illicit photos, police said.

Oakdale police said Yaranon and the victims never met in person. An investigation remains active to determine if there are any other victims.