A Saugus man was arrested and charged Friday with sending harmful material to a minor, capping a nearly yearlong investigation into the alleged trafficking of child sexual-abuse material.
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies arrested Richard Douglas Renolds, 39, on Thursday, following an arrest warrant that was filed in the Long Beach Courthouse by a Los Angeles Police Department officer who’s part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Renolds was charged Friday with two counts, as well two special allegations: distributing child sexual-abuse material and contact with a minor for a sexual offense, with the alleged victim identified in court records only as Jane Doe. Two additional allegations state Renolds is believed to have engaged in violent conduct in committing the offense, and that his previous record indicates numerous crimes that have increased in seriousness.
A spokeswoman from the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office indicated he pleaded not guilty at his initial arraignment, noting he’s due back in court Oct. 8 for an early disposition hearing.
Law enforcement officials requested $75,000 bail in court records. He was released on his own recognizance Friday with no bail amount listed.
The investigation began with an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department detective who received the tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, in March 2025.
The detective investigated the internet IP address where the material came from, and in November, received a response to a query of the internet service provider, which directed the agency to an address in Saugus.
Detectives conducted a raid of that address on Dec. 1, according to court records, seizing a Samsung phone with a cracked screen and requesting any digital records stored there dating back two years.
Renolds was not arrested following the service of the search warrant.
The investigation was then picked up by a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force from the L.A. Police Department’s Harbor Division, who was listed as the investigating officer in the criminal complaint filed at the Long Beach Courthouse on Sept. 21.
A detective familiar with the investigation said Monday that the task force does not believe there are additional suspects or victims associated with the allegations.
