One year ago today (August 24, 2023) … a man was convicted of sexually assaulting teenage girls in Orange County
One year ago today (August 24, 2023) … a 25-year-old man was convicted of sexually abusing several girls in Santa Ana and Anaheim whom he lured via Instagram with promises of money, alcohol and drugs.
Brayan Padillagomez was found guilty of five counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14, two counts of drug administration and contact with a minor with the intent to commit a sex offense, all felonies.
The jury was unable to reach a verdict on each of the charges: sending harmful messages to a minor with the intent to seduce, contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, and engaging in lewd or lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14.
Padillagomez’s sentencing is scheduled for September 15.
One of the girls told police on Jan. 26, 2022, that she was attacked by Padillagomez, whom she met online when she was 13, according to a trial report by Assistant District Attorney Christina Warden.
The two chatted on Instagram in September 2021 and then arranged to meet in October 2021 to smoke marijuana, Warden said. He picked her up and later that evening said he wanted to have sex with her, but she said no, Warden said.
Padillagomez began to remove her clothes but stopped when the panicked and crying girl begged him to stop, Warden said. She got out of the car and walked home, Warden said.
The two began chatting online again, talking about her desire to run away from home, and he offered to pick her up and give her alcohol and drugs, Warden said.
Padillagomez picked her up between 2 and 3 a.m. and they went to a CVS parking lot where he gave her marijuana and alcohol. “She felt like she kept falling asleep and doesn’t remember much except that the defendant drove to an area across from the Santa Ana Zoo,” Warden said.
The victim woke up naked in a bedroom the next morning and saw blood in her groin area and bruising on her inner thigh, Warden said, adding that the victim said she had never had sex before.
Padillagomez was also accused of sending a video of himself having sex with the girl to one of her friends via Instagram, Warden said. The victim does not appear to have consented to the video and it was sent to her friend as he was trying to persuade her to have sex with him, Warden said.
Padillagomez was accused of soliciting the other 14-year-old girl to send him nude pictures of herself and offering her drugs in exchange for sex, Warden said.
The first girl lured the defendant to a Santa Ana club, where police were waiting to arrest him, Warden said. Padillagomez admitted to having sex with the girl in a parking garage and three more times at his apartment, Warden said.
Padillagomez also admitted to police that he tried to contact her friend to have sex with her as well. He knew it was a mistake, but he did it anyway “because he was lonely,” Warden said.
A search of Padillagomez’s electronic devices also showed that he had used Instagram to have conversations with other girls around his age in which he attempted to exchange money, alcohol and drugs for sex, Warden said.
Padillagomez was also accused of meeting two other girls in an Anaheim park in October 2021, Warden said. One of the girls was just about to turn 13, the prosecutor said.
He kissed the girl on the mouth several times, even though she said she was disgusted and did not want to be kissed, Warden said. He took the girls to an apartment and drank alcohol, Warden said.
The 12-year-old girl drank until she passed out and woke up with her pants unbuttoned and feeling like he was sexually assaulting her with his finger, Warden said.
Padillagomez later dropped the girls off at Main Place Mall in Santa Ana, Warden said. The other girl later met up with him and another girl and he offered them money for oral sex, but they declined, Warden said.
