Trigger Warning: This article contains references to the alleged child sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.
A daycare owner in Central California has been taken into custody following allegations of se*ual abuse involving several children in their care. Law enforcement officials announced that Javier RiveraMojica, the 67-year-old man from Shandon, had been subjecting young children to abuse at an unlicensed home daycare he operated alongside his wife.
On August 5, detectives executed a search warrant at the couple’s home in the 100 block of South Fourth Street in Shandon, a small San Luis Obispo County community outside Paso Robles, where the business was conducted.
According to investigators, RiveraMojica utilized the home daycare setting to gain access to “numerous victims,” committing the criminal offences. Following the raid on his residence, the daycare operator was taken into custody on a no-bail warrant. He currently faces 11 counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, alongside nearly two dozen felony sentencing enhancements.
According to an official press release by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, RiveraMojica was arrested without any incident.
View this post on Instagram
The officials said in a statement, “The investigation remains active, and detectives are asking anyone with information related to this case, or anyone who believes they or someone they know may have had contact with RiveraMojica under similar circumstances, to contact the Sheriff’s Office Detective Division…”
“Investigators are working to determine whether there are additional victims or witnesses who have not yet come forward. The victims in this case have been offered victim advocacy and support services. The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to their safety and well-being throughout the investigation.”
“This is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time,” they added.
Netizens took to social media to commend law enforcement for their swift response following the arrest of the home daycare operator.
A Facebook user had one piece of advice for parents: “Teach your own children to talk to you about situations they may face. These p*dophiles threaten children not to talk. Talk to your kids and teach them that there are people like this. Educate your kids and be there for them.”
Another user added, “This is why one should really listen to their children. If the child says he/she doesn’t feel comfortable with any person or place, please listen. I don’t care if it’s a relative, friend or like this day care. And yes, the wife had to have known something. A child not only speaks with their mouth but with the way they react around people. So please listen and talk to them about being careful.”
A separate commentator who claimed to have attended the daycare wrote, “Forever grateful that my mom didn’t hesitate twice to remove me from that childcare once I told her how uncomfortable I felt there when I was a little girl.”
A fourth user asked others to keep their eyes open: “Be on the lookout in your own neighborhoods… Cars coming and going in the morning and evenings and children entering and leaving. Oftentimes, these are unlicensed homes providing sketchy childcare. If it is a rental, check with the owner to see if their rental has the necessary licensing. Otherwise, contact the county. We had that happen in our neighborhood and when we let the owner know, they shut it down. HUGE liability there if you are the property owner.”
Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.
