PHOENIX — Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says an investigation is underway involving a registered sex offender in Arizona who is accused of sexually exploiting a minor in another state.
On April 28, officials received a tip that was made by Cash App to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators learned that a man living in Arizona was reportedly sending money to a juvenile girl in Indiana. The transactions appeared to be suspicious and were later found to involve a 14-year-old girl who was sending explicit photos via Snapchat.
Cybercrimes investigators found the man in question was believed to be Stefan Santos, 34, who is a registered sex offender. He previously served six years in the Arizona Department of Corrections after being arrested in 2011 for sexual exploitation of a minor involving “peer to peer file sharing,” officials said.
MCSO also says Santos traveled to Indiana on at least two occasions when he met up with the minor involved in this case and had sexual interactions dating back to 2024, when the victim was 13.
On May 4, MCSO detained Santos at his home in connection with the investigation. Officials gathered evidence from his phones, which included images of the victim in question.
He has since been booked into jail on charges including sexual exploitation of a minor. Charges are also pending against Santos in Indiana.
Officials held a press conference on Thursday morning about the ongoing investigation. Watch the full video in the player above.
MCSO says they are seeking help from the public in locating possible additional victims.
Santos has reportedly worked for several different trucking companies as a driver in the Valley. He frequently travels across the Valley and northern Arizona.
MCSO says he has used Snapchat to “mutually exchange images with minors, utilizing various usernames along with Cash App in this case, and he also utilizes other apps such as Roblox, Telegram, and WhatsApp.”
During a 2011 sexual exploitation investigation, Santos told officials he was attracted to minor females and “stated he had a problem and he was sick and needed help.”
Anyone with information about Santos, the investigation, or additional victims is asked to contact MCSO at 602-876-1011.
The investigation is ongoing.
