Engineer Is Arrested in Internet Sex Sting

A 32-year-old engineer was jailed on $1-million bail after his arrest at an Oxnard motel Thursday on suspicion of soliciting sex with a fictitious 13-year-old girl over the Internet, authorities said.

Ruben Ortega Ibarra Jr. was being held on suspicion of an attempted lewd act with a child under 14 and possession and distribution of child pornography, said a deputy at the County Jail.

Ibarra was arrested at 11:30 a.m. in the parking lot of a motel in the 1200 block of Oxnard Boulevard after he arrived from his home in San Bernardino for a meeting with “Judy,” Oxnard Police Sgt. Tom Chronister said.

Oxnard Police Det. Randey Cole, who posed as the girl during the undercover operation, met Ibarra a month ago in an America Online chat room for teen girls, Chronister said.

During online chats, Ibarra allegedly electronically mailed the detective a picture of himself and several images of adults engaged in sex acts with children, some who appear to be as young as 6 years old, Chronister said.

Before the arrest, police in Virginia served a search warrant at America Online’s home offices. They seized records of Ibarra’s account and began a detailed record of his Internet use, Chronister said.

After the arrest, San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies searched Ibarra’s home and office looking for a photograph scanner, cameras, disks, disk drives, logs and other computer equipment, Chronister said.

David Nesbitt, supervisor of the local office of the FBI, said agents are investigating federal charges against Ibarra that could include e-mailing child pornography across state lines.

Ibarra is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.