FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Arrested a fourth time for the same crime.
27-year-old Fernando Ivan Delgadillo of Fresno, a registered sex offender, was caught again, allegedly preying on little girls ranging in age from 12 to 13.
“This guy has a pattern of behavior. He likes to go after young girls who are preteen, early teenage years, and he hasn’t learned his lesson,” says Tony Botti with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
This latest investigation started back in February when three girls from Sequoia Middle School told their school resource officer a man had sent them explicit messages trying to meet them for sexual purposes.
In an Instagram message, Delgadillo sent a selfie, which made it easy for investigators to identify him.
The Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force quickly found out he had two prior arrests.
The first in 2020, he was one of 34 predators caught during a sheriff’s sting operation called Operation Covid Chat Down. He went to prison following his arrest. But, most recently, he was out of jail on bail for another similar offense just last year.
Even though identifying him was easy, finding him wasn’t as Delgadillo failed to report his latest address, claiming he was unhoused.
But on Wednesday, police were able to track him down to a home in Dinuba.
Sheriff’s Deputies say it’s common for sexual predators to slip through the cracks of the system.
“There’s not too much we can do under Megan’s law. As long as he is out and doesn’t have charges pending against him, he has his freedoms. It’s up to him to abide by the rules of his agreement,” says Botti.
Predators lurking behind keyboards, it’s a common theme advocates see in their practice, helping young victims of crime.
“Kids are on devices often, and even babies are learning how to use screens, and these perpetrators that get to kids, they’re using social media platforms, gaming platforms, all kinds of platforms,” says Melinda Taylor, Senior Victim Advocate, The James Rowland Crime Victim Assistance Center.
The cycle, tough to break, not only for the victim but for the offender. Taylor says new reports find sexual predators have about a 3% rate of changing their behavior.
“Everybody is given the opportunity to post bail, if they’ve already admitted to a crime, sometimes, they are not allowed to post bail, but that is very late in the process,” says Taylor.
Delgadillo is still at the Fresno County jail with his bail set at $65,000. The investigation is ongoing, as deputies believe there could be more victims out there. They are urging anyone with information to come forward and contact their office.
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