Additional victims sought of man accused of preying on children online

LOS ANGELES -- (KTLA) -- 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.