A 27-year-old man is facing child molestation charges after allegedly sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy. The two individuals reportedly met on Snapchat, according to court records.
A man from Alameda, Christopher Van Diggelen, has been charged with serious felonies including committing a lewd act on a child and arranging to meet a minor to commit a sexual offense. According to records, he was arrested in August and is currently being held in Santa Rita Jail with a bail set at $165,000.
According to the police, the victim played a crucial role in helping investigators identify Van Diggelen. They did so by actively engaging on social media weeks after the alleged molestation and managing to obtain pictures of his face.
Last April, the 13-year-old boy reportedly contacted Van Diggelen on Snapchat, leading to the charges. During their conversations, the teenager informed Van Diggelen about his age. Subsequently, the boy received a shirtless picture from Van Diggelen, as reported by the police.
The two crossed paths at Crab Cove in Alameda, and it was there that Van Diggelen reportedly committed the act against the boy. After some time had passed, the boy made up his mind to inform the authorities about the incident.
However, he ended up going back to Snapchat and reaching out to Van Diggelen once more. According to authorities, the individual later informed the police about Van Diggelen’s employment at Domino’s Pizza and also shared pictures of Van Diggelen’s face.
The boy informed authorities that he was filled with fear and unable to intervene when Van Diggelen engaged in sexual abuse. The boy also expressed his objection, questioning Van Diggelen about his awareness of the boy’s age, to which Van Diggelen callously responded, “old enough.”
Van Diggelen was taken into custody on August 15th and subsequently confessed to participating in inappropriate behavior with a minor, according to court records.
A judge is currently reviewing a motion to release Van Diggelen without bail during the duration of the case. Currently, he is still in custody, and prosecutors are objecting to his release, according to court records.