Man goes to hotel party with clean STD test, plans to abuse girls 14 and under, feds say

A 30-year-old man has been charged after being accused of going to a fake California hotel party with intent to sexually abuse girls 14 and under, federal officials said.

Michael Batchelor told an undercover agent that he was looking for “minors who were in the age range of 6 to 14 and had blonde hair,” according to a July 18 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Central District of California.

Batchelor, of Placer County, told the agent he had an interest in making child pornography and showed videos of children younger than 10 being molested by men, prosecutors said.

On July 17, Batchelor traveled to Los Angeles with the intent of making child pornography with three girls, two under age 10, officials said.

He went to the hotel room where the abuse was supposed to happen with $200 and a recent STD test, officials said.

When he got there, he was arrested, officials said.

“It is essential that we protect our children from predators who perpetrate the sorts of despicable crimes alleged in this complaint,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in the release. “We will continue to leverage our resources to ferret out efforts to sexually exploit children and hold those bad actors accountable.”

Attorney information for Batchelor was not readily available on July 19.

Batchelor was charged with attempted production of child pornography, attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illegal criminal sexual activity, and distribution and possession of child pornography, prosecutors said.

He is scheduled to re-appear in court on July 22, officials said.

If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Placer County is about a 150-mile drive northeast from San Francisco.

This story was originally published July 19, 2024 at 10:34 AM with the headline "Man goes to hotel party with clean STD test, plans to abuse girls 14 and under, feds say."