A California man was arrested after a two-year investigation by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office into the attempted solicitation of a child he met through an online gaming platform.
The investigation began in June 2023 when deputies responded to a Palm Coast residence after a concerned parent discovered inappropriate and sexually explicit conversations on his child’s iPad between the child and an unknown male.
Discovery and Initial Investigation
During the initial investigation, deputies determined the child had met the suspect on the online gaming platform Roblox. The suspect then convinced the child to engage in conversation outside of the gaming platform, first on the messaging app Discord, then eventually through instant messaging after the suspect gave the victim his cellphone number.
“Fortunately, this parent acted as the sheriff in their home by reviewing their child’s messages and contacting law enforcement immediately after discovering a stranger was attempting to take advantage of their child,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Cases like this are why it is incredibly important for parents to be aware of the dangers of the internet and monitor their children’s online activity. These online platforms provide predators an avenue to engage with unsuspecting children and groom them so exploitation can occur.”
In the conversations, the suspect identified himself as “Brandon” and told the victim he was 18 years old and lived in California. He began requesting nude photographs. The messages between the suspect and the child contained numerous sexually explicit texts and photographs, but no nudity.
Multi-Agency Investigation
Following the initial findings, the case was assigned to FCSO’s Cyber Crimes/ICAC Unit. Through investigative means, detectives identified the suspect as Brandon Rodriguez-Silva, then 18, of San Jose, California.
In November 2024, the Major Case Unit took over the investigation. Major case detectives worked with the San Jose Police Department’s ICAC Division, who confirmed Rodriguez-Silva’s identity and that the phone number the victim was communicating with belonged to him.
With that information, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Rodriguez-Silva, now 20, for transmission of material harmful to minors by electronic device and soliciting a child or person believed to be a child for unlawful sexual conduct using a computer service or device. Bond was set at $50,000 with nationwide extradition.
Arrest and Extradition
FCSO’s Fugitive Unit coordinated with the U.S. Marshals Service’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force to apprehend Rodriguez-Silva. On Nov. 5, 2025, marshals located Rodriguez-Silva in California and arrested him on the active warrant.
“These cases take time, and I commend everyone involved in this case for their determination so this pervert can face justice,” Sheriff Staly said. “I thank everyone on our team and our law enforcement partners in California for their teamwork in solving this lengthy investigation.”
Rodriguez-Silva was transported to Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas, California, where he is being held without bond until he is extradited to Flagler County.
The post California Man Arrested After Two-Year Investigation into Child Solicitation Case first appeared on Flagler County Buzz.