Fresno police detectives say they seized a great deal of evidence from 34-year-old Derek Garcia's home, and they believe all of it points to his collection and possible distribution of child pornography.
Garcia is in the Fresno County Jail facing five felony charges for the child pornography. Court papers show detectives have evidence dating back to February.
Investigators say the internet is what lead them to Derek Garcia's collection of child porn. Garcia was arrested at his northwest Fresno home last week. Police say what they found inside his house is extremely disturbing.
Louis Garibay lives next door to Garcia. He and his neighbors are stunned by the news. "That's a shame because kids are our future, when you mess up their lives, you mess up our world," Garibay said. "That's the way I look at that."
Investigators say Garcia was properly registered with law enforcement as a sex offender. But what fueled the investigation further is his address. Garcia is just across the street from Lions Park and down the road from Slater Elementary School.
Parents let their kids play in the area several days a week. Many of them tell Action News they're outraged Garcia lives near so many kids. "It's kind of hard to believe. I mean, it really makes no sense," said Jesse Munoz."
"It's really hard to tell how long he's been doing this particular activity," said Fresno Police Sexual Assault Unit Detective Dustin Bruzee. "But I can tell you he obviously has a history of sexually related crimes."
That history dates back to 1997. Court documents show a 19-year-old Garcia drugged and raped a 14-year-old girl. He served a year in prison and 4 years on probation.
Because of that previous rape conviction, if Garcia is convicted of these new allegations he would be sent to state prison instead of a county jail. He's scheduled to appear in court later this month.
