Sex Predator Uses MySpace to Lure Teens

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LOS ANGELES -- A 33-year-old Monrovia man has been indicted for allegedly using social networking Web sites such as MySpace to entice teenage girls to have sex with him and pose for pornographic photos.

Gregory Scott Serrano was charged Tuesday with production of child pornography, using the Internet to entice minors to produce child pornography and to meet for sex, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography and attempted destruction of evidence.

While the indictment lists 10 teenage girls as alleged victims, prosecutors said they suspect there are more who have not come forward.

The FBI and Monrovia Police Department began investigating Serrano two months ago, when allegations surfaced that he offered a 15-year-old girl alcohol, had sex with her and took pornographic photos of her, said U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Thom Mrozek.

Serrano allegedly posed as a 19-year-old boy and contacted the girl after reading her profile on netlog.com and MySpace.

After sending the teen e- mails and calling her on her cell phone, Serrano arranged to meet with the girl, then picked her up in his car and took her to his home, where he committed his crimes, according to the indictment.

After the girl told her parents about several contacts she allegedly had with Serrano, they called law enforcement, who raided Serrano's home on March 12, Mrozek said.

According to the indictment, Serrano scanned Web sites, including MyYearbook.com, for his alleged victims. His screen names included Purein10citi, citigreg1116, serranogreg and latinoload1116, prosecutors said.

After his March 12 arrest, Serrano allegedly contacted a family member and asked the relative to retrieve and hide a compact disc stashed inside a rollerblade in Serrano's basement.

The FBI recovered the disc, who allegedly contained logs of e-mail conversations between Serrano and his victims, as well as child pornography depicting them, Mrozek said.

The federal charge of production of child pornography carries a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence and a maximum sentence of 30 years, Mrozek said.

The charge of using the Internet to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct carries a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment without parole.

The receiving child pornography charge carries a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence and a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment.

The charge of possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment, while the attempted destruction evidence charge comes with a possible sentence of 20 years' imprisonment.

Serrano also is facing several child molestation charges in state court. He is being housed in the county jail in Castaic, with bail set at $820,000.

His arraignment on the state charges is set for June 6 in Pasadena Superior.

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