An undercover investigator ensnared a Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy who allegedly tried to meet a 15-year-old for sex, authorities said.
Anthony Russo, 52, was arrested on Wednesday after the RCSD received a tip on Tuesday, the department said in a news release.
An undercover investigator pretending to be a 15-year-old contacted Russo, who “shared explicit material and communicated his intent to meet with the supposed minor to engage in sexual acts,” the release said.
Russo was taken into custody and resigned his role in the corrections division after his arrest.
Russo was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on charges of sending harmful material to a minor and attempting to meet a minor for sex.
Jail records show Russo, who was arrested at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility, also faces a misdemeanor charge of molesting a person under the age of 18.
He is free on $50,000 bail and is due to appear at the Riverside Hall of Justice on Jan. 24.
No further details will be released, investigators said.
