VIDEO: 21-Year-Old Anaheim Man Arrested for Allegedly Sexually Assaulting 12-Year-Old Girl After Meeting on Tinder

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Photo credit Santa Ana Police Department Press Release

(KNX 1070) - Santa Ana Police Department detectives arrested a 21-year-old Anaheim man for allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.

The two met on Tinder where the victim posed as a 19-year-old female and met Sean Rickard.

They both communicated for eight months before she disclosed her true age a few weeks ago, according to the Santa Ana Police Department press release. 

Rickard was booked at the Orange County Jail for multiple counts of child abuse. His bail has been set at $100,000.00.

The victim did not show up to school on Monday and was reported to have been picked up by Rickard and taken to a Santa Ana parking lot where he sexually assaulted her.

The police showed up to the charter school Thursday. After learning that Rickard communicated with the victim through Snapchat, detectives posed as the victim and began communicating with him, according to the press release.

SAPD Detectives Make An Arrest Of A Sexual Assault Suspect - Victim 12 Year-Old Female https://t.co/zArohLB8cw

— SantaAnaPD (@SantaAnaPD) February 28, 2019 Rickard believed he was communicating with the victim and sent a video of himself masturbating, the press release said.

He also agreed to meet the victim later that evening for the purposes of engaging in sexual activity.

Detectives waited for Rickard as he parked behind a clothing store in Anaheim. Rickard also admitted to driving to the clothing store in order to meet the victim for the purposes of engaging in sex acts, the press release said.

Rickard was arrested and interviewed by detectives.