A 38-year-old Castro Valley man was arrested in Danville after police say he approached young people and intentionally dropped lewd photographs of himself in front of them, part of a pattern investigators have been tracking since January 2025. Officers booked James Maldonado into county jail on suspicion of misdemeanor child molestation and felony distribution of harmful materials, but he was released from Martinez Detention Facility the following morning, and as of this week no formal charges had been filed.
The arrest occurred on September 11, nine days before the September 20 publication, when Danville police officers connected the suspect to past cases, according to the Danville San Ramon. The break came when a 16-year-old girl called police to report that she recognized a man on Railroad Avenue whom she believed was responsible for a previous incident. Officers responded to the call, located a man matching the description, and took him into custody. Local reporting has since identified him as James Maldonado of Castro Valley.
Danville police have connected Maldonado to multiple previous reports since his arrest and believe he is tied to several similar incidents the department has investigated in town since January 2025. Officers booked him on suspicion of violating California Penal Code Section 647.6, for annoying or molesting a child under 18, and Section 288.2, for distributing harmful material to a minor, according to Contra Costa News.
How the Law Treats Dropping Photos Near Kids
Under Section 647.6, actual physical contact isn’t required to establish child molestation or annoyance. Sexually motivated actions or gestures directed at a minor that would offend or disturb a reasonable person are enough to violate the statute, according to the Shouse Law Group, and a conviction can carry up to a year in jail along with mandatory sex offender registration. Section 288.2, meanwhile, is the alleged felony offense, per the same source’s report and coverage from Eisner Gorin LLP…