Case # TBA
Date: May 6, 2015
OCDA SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSAULTING BOY UNDER 14 YEARS OLD AND POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) is seeking the public’s help in identifying any potential additional victims of a high school teacher and youth baseball coach charged with sexually assaulting a boy under the age of 14 and possessing child pornography. Ezequiel Barragan, 48, Aliso Viejo, is charged with four felony counts of performing lewd acts on a child under the age of 14, three felony counts of lewd acts on a child between the ages of 14 and 15, and one felony count of possession of child pornography, with a sentencing enhancement for substantial sexual conduct with a child. If convicted, Barragan faces a maximum sentence of 16 years and eight months in state prison. He is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon, May 6, 2015, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.
At the time of the crime, Barragan was a Spanish teacher at Dana Hills High School (DHHS) in Dana Point. Over the last 20 years, Barragan has been involved in coaching youth baseball at various leagues of various ages as well as at the junior/high school level. Barragan has also previously volunteered with Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Children in Orange County.
The defendant is accused of meeting John Doe through his involvement with CASA. John Doe was not a student at DHHS.
On multiple occasions between Aug. 14, 2012, and Feb. 7, 2015, the defendant is accused of sexually assaulting the victim, who was between the ages of 13 and 15 when the sexual assault occurred.
Between April 9, 2015, and May 4, 2015, Barragan is accused of possessing child pornography including child pornography depicting boys between the ages of 12 and 16 posing with their genitals showing.
A U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) agent contacted the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force (OCCETF) who assisted in investigating this case.
“For the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, one of the most important things we can deliver is a child’s safety,” says Robert Wemyss, Inspector in Charge for the Los Angeles Division. “Postal Inspectors have a long history of aggressively investigating the predators who attempt to sexually exploit children through the use of the U.S. mail.”
The OCCETF is a multi-agency team which includes Homeland Security Investigations, Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newport Beach Police Department, Huntington Beach Police Department and USPIS, assigned to investigate Internet-related crimes against children as well as crimes involving the possession, production and distribution of child pornography.
Anyone with additional information or who believes they have been a victim is encouraged to contact OCDA Supervising Investigator Kelly Core at (714) 347-8794 or OCSD Special Victims Unit Sergeant Wade Walsvick at (714) 647-7418.
Deputy District Attorney Vanessa Woods of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.