A Las Vegas prosecutor accused of attempting to meet an underage girl at a park for sex was caught up in a law enforcement sting operation, police documents said.
The prosecutor, identified as Tanner Castro, tried to meet an underage girl at a park to have sex in the backseat of his car, according to Henderson police. Instead, he had been communicating with a decoy during a sting by law enforcement, police wrote in an arrest report.
Castro Used Social Media Apps to Arrange for Meeting, Caught as Part of Undercover Operation
The prosecutor was arrested on Friday and was terminated from the Clark County District Attorney's office on Monday, District Attorney Steve Wolfson told 8newsnow.com. Castro had been employed as a deputy district attorney since Sept. 2, Wolfson said.
Castro used Kik with the username "boat666666" and Snapchat with the username "Rogue 96" during his communication with an undercover law enforcement officer who he believed was a juvenile girl, according to police.
On these mobile applications, "subjects are much more likely to encourage a child to produce child sexual abuse material [...] to use these platforms to speak and possibly coordinate a meeting date/time and location for sexual contact with a child," the arrest report stated.
"The user later agreed to meet the decoy for sexual contact at a predetermined meeting location," police wrote. "The sexual contact included having sex in the backseat of the subject's car."
Castro Had a Box of Condoms in His Car
Castro later showed up at Whitney Mesa Park to meet who he believed would be the underage girl, according to police. Police found a box of condoms in Castro's car, the arrest report stated. He invoked his rights per Miranda after his arrest, police said. Castro faces two felony charges, including luring a child with the use of a computer to engage in sexual conduct and statutory sexual seduction, according to court records.
He posted bail on Saturday and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 7. Henderson Police, the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and the Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force were part of the undercover operation.
