El Cajon preschool teacher arrested on child pornography charges

SAN DIEGO - A licensed preschool teacher and part-time babysitter, who advertised his services using an online babysitting site, appeared in federal court Monday to face felony child pornography charges following his arrest by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Corey James Loftin, 23, of El Cajon, Calif., was taken into custody at his residence early Friday where agents executed a federal search warrant, seizing four computers, various computer accessories, a pair of binoculars, a modified child's doll and children's underwear.

According to the complaint, Loftin received images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct between November 2009 and April 2011, and chatted online with a male in Pennsylvania and received video over the Internet of that man sexually molesting children.

ICE HSI is now asking the public's help to identify potential victims. Anyone with information related to this investigation can leave a confidential message for the case agent at (619) 744-4633.

"This case is particularly disturbing because the suspect has been directly working with young, vulnerable children in this area," said Miguel Unzueta, special agent in charge for ICE HSI in San Diego. "Our concern is for potential victims in our community. We are asking anyone with information relating to the charges against this defendant to contact us."

The arrest comes two days after agents in San Diego received information from the ICE HSI office in Harrisburg, Pa., about suspected child pornography on Loftin's computer. As part of that lead, agents also learned Loftin was advertising his babysitting services on the Sittercity.com website, where he posted that he had worked at the Cuyamaca College Child Development Center.

At the time of his arrest, Loftin had been working for one week at Children's Castle Preschool & Childcare Center in El Cajon.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a potential lifetime of supervised release. Loftin will also be required to register as a sex offender.

This investigation is part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers.