Sheriff’s detectives are reaching out to the public in search of anyone who may have had inappropriate contact with a man accused of initiating “sexual and vulgar” conversations with more than 20 children through a text messaging app, and even showing up at the home of at least one little girl, officials said.
Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Lomita Station arrested James Anthony Gonzales, 35, on Feb. 7, according to sheriff’s officials and Los Angeles County booking records.
He’s since pleaded guilty to one charge of contacting a minor for the purpose of committing a sex offense, as well as one count of arranging to meet a minor to commit a sex offense, Los Angeles County Superior Court records show.
Investigators have learned that in late-2018, Gonzales posed as a 13-year-old boy and contacted underage girls via the TikTok instant messaging app, Deputy Grace Medrado of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau said in a written statement.
Through the social media platform, “Gonzales initiated sexual and vulgar conversations with at least 21 female minors, some as young as 9 years of age,” she said.
“In one instance, he learned the address of a 9-year-old female and arrived at her doorstep unannounced, posing as a delivery driver,” according to the deputy. “It is feared that Gonzales has made contact with other children in the same or similar manner.”
Deputies found downloaded images of child pornography on Gonzales’ cellphone when he was arrested, officials added.
Gonzales used numerous profiles on several social media platforms.
On TikTok, he used the usernames “Lanso,” “lansostiles,” “lansostiles4322” and lansostiles77, sheriff’s officials said. He used profile names including “In the 310 lets go” and “soul0072.” His published phone number on the app was listed as 213-433-3824.
On Meetme.com, Gonzales used the moniker “Lanzo Stiles,” officials said.
He went by “yamakisaki@gmail.com” on gmail, “lansostiles” on Snapchat and “yamakisaki” on Instagram.
Gonzales’ bail has been set at $100,000 pending a preliminary hearing, scheduled Feb. 27 in the Torrance branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court, records show.
Anyone with information, or anyone who suspects their child may have been in contact with Gonzales, is urged to contact Lt. Aikin of the Sheriff’s Human Trafficking Bureau at 323-526-5155. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
