25C01460 - Internet Crimes Against Children Arrest
On 2/24/25, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office Detectives were contacted by the Colorado Springs Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit. A mother in Colorado discovered a male claiming to be from Chelan County was having sexually explicit conversations with her 14-year-old daughter since November 2024. The male told the juvenile that he intended on travelling to Colorado to meet her. CCSO Detectives continued the investigation and identified 19-year-old John Vargas-Lopez as the suspect. Phone and social media records revealed an extensive pattern showing Vargas-Lopez posing as a younger teenage boy while soliciting sexually explicit photos and videos from juvenile females he met on Instagram and Snapchat. After records positively identified Vargas-Lopez as the suspect, CCSO Detectives and Deputies arrested him on 4/8/25 near his home in Peshastin. Vargas-Lopez was booked into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center for the following offenses:
*Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
*Communication with a Minor for Immoral Purposes
*Possession of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
Detective Bowthorpe is continuing the investigation and attempting to identify other victims who are believed to be from various locations throughout the United States.
Detective Sergeant Lewis states, “This case is a stark reminder of the realities of social media. The fact is, predators are actively using social media to prey on children and sexually exploit them. CCSO Detectives are committed to identifying and arresting those in our community who seek to harm or exploit children. Meanwhile, it is imperative that parents talk to their children about how to safely use social media, establish age-appropriate boundaries for cell phone and social media use, and maintain supervision of their communications.”
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The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
PLEASE NOTE: FTP browsing is no longer supported on the latest browsers, please refer below to acccess our FTP content.
Popular Browsers
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By clicking continue, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to this disclaimer.
The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
PLEASE NOTE: FTP browsing is no longer supported on the latest browsers, please refer below to acccess our FTP content.
Popular Browsers
Supported
Microsoft Edge
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Google Chrome
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By clicking continue, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to this disclaimer.
The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
By clicking continue, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to this disclaimer.
The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
By clicking continue, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to this disclaimer.