Media

Details: Published: 30 October 2020

Detectives with the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force have arrested 54 year old Michael Dickens of Clovis. He has been booked into the Fresno County Jail and faces charges related to arranging to meet with a minor to engage in sex and distributing pornographic material to a child. His bail is set at $45,000.

As part of their regular duties, ICAC detectives monitor social media platforms for potential sexual solicitations toward children. In this case, Michael Dickens unknowingly contacted an undercover detective. Believing he was communicating online with a 12 year old girl, Dickens arranged a meeting to have sex with this child. Detectives agreed, arrived at a predetermined location Friday afternoon, met with Dickens and arrested him. No actual child was ever used or placed into danger during this operation.

Dickens has been an active parent involved with girls’ water polo clubs in Clovis and Fresno. He has also been a coach of a girls’ softball team in Clovis. Detectives believe there are children who may have had inappropriate interactions with Dickens in the past. If you think you may fall into this category, please contact Lieutenant Brandon Pursell at (559) 600-8029 or Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867, www.valleycrimestoppers.org

Law enforcement would like to remind the public to be vigilant when it comes to visiting websites and social media outlets. Parents should also monitor their children’s internet usage and be aware of the software apps they are using. Parents should keep the dialogue open with their children in order to build trust. Online predators often pretend to be someone else in order to lure their victims in and take advantage of them. Teach children to be wary of the person on the other end of the chat line; many times people are not who they say they are. Report any suspicious behavior right away to law enforcement or file a cyber tip through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. https://report.cybertip.org/

ICAC is comprised of 64 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies spread throughout nine counties in the Central Valley. It is dedicated to protecting children online and investigating crimes committed against children, which are facilitated by the Internet and computer usage.