SHERIFF'S OFFICE INVESTIGATION IDENTIFIES SEX OFFENDER WITH MULTIPLE VICTIMS

On Wednesday, September 15, 2021, the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office responded to a call in reference to a delayed report of a possible indecency with a child by contact.  A criminal investigation was initiated.  Sergeant Investigators were able to identify Esiah Castillo, 21, of San Angelo, as the suspect.  The Tom Green County Sheriff's Office conducted an operation, which resulted in the arrest of Esiah Castillo on October 7, 2021.  Esiah Castillo was charged with Indecency with a Child by Contact, a second-degree felony.  A subsequent investigation was conducted, where additional victims have been developed, six (6) of which have been identified.  It is believed Esiah Castillo met most of his victims through social media platforms.  Esiah Castillo has since been released and re-arrested.  To date, Esiah Castillo has been charged with the following:

                Indecency with a Child Sexual Contact x2 (second-degree felony)

                Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child x3 (first-degree felony)

                Sexual Assault of Child x5 (second-degree felony)

This investigation remains active as the Sheriff's Office is still processing evidence and attempting to locate and identify any additional victims.  Future charges may be forthcoming.  Sergeant Investigator Gary Cole (ph# 325-242-1060) and Sergeant Investigator Andrew Alwine (ph# 325-242-1084) are assigned to the case.  If you or your child is believed to be a victim of Esiah Castillo, the Sheriff's Office urges you to contact this agency.  The investigators can be reached by their perspective phone numbers, or they can be contacted through the Sheriff's Office non-emergency line, 325-655-8111.

The Tom Green County Sheriff's Office would like to remind parents that children using the internet and social media create increased access to children for child sexual predators.    The following tips will help to protect children from these predators:

1. Discuss Internet safety with children of all ages that are online. Many children do not realize that people may not be who they claim to be online. Similarly, many do not understand that someone who seems like a friend online could have a deviant motive.
2. Set limits around who your children are allowed to communicate with. You may consider limiting young children to communicating only with people you have personally met. For older children, you may consider limiting them to communicating only with people they have met in person.
3. Set limits around the kinds of devices and applications your children use. Online child sexual predators often use new technologies to avoid detection by law enforcement. If your child is using an application you have not heard of before, consider researching the application online or testing it out using your child's account.
4. Use technology to protect them. Many devices and programs allow parents to set parameters around which applications children may use and for how long. Similarly, many of these programs allow parents to see what their children are doing while using those applications.
5. Pay attention to warning signs. Children who are sexually exploited are often embarrassed and hesitate to tell parents or other authority figures about their experiences. Pay attention if your child is withdrawing or changing their mood while their Internet activity increases.
6. Report suspected abuse. Reporting can help minimize or stop further victimization. If you believe your child has been sexually exploited online, contact your local law enforcement office, your local F.B.I. office, or report online at www.cybertipline.org.