BOSTON – A California man was arrested this morning and charged with surreptitiously filming an 11-year-old Massachusetts girl changing in her bedroom in March 2021.
Jacob Guerrero, 23, of Woodland, Calif., was charged with one count of sexually exploiting a child. Guerrero was arrested this morning in California and will appear in federal court in the Eastern District of California this afternoon. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging document, on or about March 17, 2021, Guerrero recorded a video of an unclothed 11-year-old girl while she changed in her bedroom at her home in Norfolk, Mass. Guerrero allegedly climbed to the top of a garage attached to the victim’s home and stood just outside the victim’s second floor bedroom window as she changed. In the two weeks leading up to that recording, it is further alleged that Guerrero conducted surveillance of the victim’s home and made notes on his phone regarding the time of day that the victim and her siblings arrived home, showered and changed clothes each night. Guerrero allegedly recorded similar notes for several other Massachusetts homes.
According to the charging document, this case arose following an investigation into allegations that Guerrero, while dressed in a wig and women’s clothing, attempted to surreptitiously record minor females in bathrooms and changing rooms at the Wrentham Outlets using pen cameras affixed to his shoes.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns, or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
The charge of sexually exploiting a child provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Wrentham Police Chief William McGrath made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.