A 32-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting a girl after meeting her on a social platform and then taking her to his house in Garden Grove against her request to commit sexual acts.
Officers responded to the home shortly after noon Friday to a report regarding an alleged sexual assault of a juvenile, according to Garden Grove Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Nick Jensen.
Detectives have been investigating a possible sexual predator met the victim on a popular social media platform for months, Jensen said.
Detectives identified the suspect as Eric Andrew Carino, who requested to meet an underage girl on social media to engage in sexual relations, knowing the victim was underage.
The victim requested to return home upon meeting Carino, but he ignored her request and took her to his home instead, where he sexually assaulted her, Jensen said. He then took her back home and immediately blocked her on social media.
The victim reported to investigators that she was sexually assaulted and identified Carino as the perpetrator.
DNA evidence was obtained and is being processed by the Orange County Crime Lab for further investigation, Jensen said.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigators linked Carino to another sexual assault committed in 2021 and took him into custody Friday.
A search warrant was executed at Carino’s house and evidence connected to the alleged assault was recovered at the scene, Jensen said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding the alleged assault was urged to contact Garden Grove Police Department Detective Adam Nikolic at 714-741-5877 or adamn@ggcity.org.