Upskirt Photographer Charged, Police Seek Victims’ Identities

Los Angeles: Authorities are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying two little girls whose images appeared on a digital camera of a man caught illegally photographing children at the Griffith Park pony rides.

Sergio Perez, 52, has been charged with misdemeanor counts of upskirting, child exploitation, possession of child pornography, loitering and child annoying by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, April 19.

Detectives from LAPD’s Sexually Exploited Child Unit (SECU), armed with a search warrant, found 200 images of children on Perez’s camera, which was seized during his arrest on Saturday, January 28, 2006. Detectives are particularly interested in identifying two little girls, whose images were found on the camera.

“We are asking any parents to contact our detectives if they recognize Perez and have information about any inappropriate behavior by him near the Griffith Park pony rides,” said Lieutenant Paul Vernon. “We’d also like parents to call if they recognize either of the two little girls’ descriptions.”

The first girl is described as White, 9 to 11 years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a sleeveless, pale-colored ¾-length dress with colorful fairies, maroon mushrooms, blue butterflies and yellow dragonflies. Her tennis shoes were brown with white ankle socks.
The second girl is described as Black, 5 to 9 years old, with long corn-row braids and multi-colored beads. She wore a burgundy crushed velvet dress and a multi-colored, primarily blue jacket. She had on black cowboy boots with white stitching.

The pony ride manager made a citizen’s arrest of Perez after the manager noticed Perez’s suspicious behavior. Northeast patrol officers took him into custody. The City Attorney’s office filed the charges on February 16, 2006.

A photograph of Perez is available by request from Media Relations Section. Anyone who saw him photographing children in the area is asked to call Detective Kathleen McCarthy, SECU, at 213-485-2883.