A former San Mateo County Child Protective Services Agency social worker accused of molesting East Palo Alto girls to which he was assigned is facing 10 additional felonies for allegedly having sexual relations with a third minor, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.
Manuel Anton Sedillo-Messer, 38, of Santa Clara faces 30 charges for allegedly engaging in sexual acts with three underage girls.
Manuel Sedillo-Messer, a former San Mateo County social worker, is charged with 30 counts related to child molestation. Photo San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.
He was assigned to the family of the first victim in 2011 and became friendly with her, culminating in a sexual relationship between June 21 through July 31, 2014. Seventeen counts apply to his alleged abuse of this victim, including molestations at a motel near Bakersfield and at another in Redwood City, at the Child Protective Services office in East Palo Alto and at a San Mateo County beach, according to the DA's office.
The second victim reported that Sedillo-Messer was like a father to her. On July 11, 2014, he allegedly took her to the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose and engaged in sexual relations with her. One of the first two victims eventually reported the abuse to her mother, who notified police.
Sedillo-Messer allegedly started molesting the third victim, who was also on his caseload, when she was 16. The abuse continued until her 18th birthday, Gallagher said. Children are released from the child-welfare system when they become adults at 18.
Sedillo-Messer faces 17 counts of oral copulation with a minor under the age of 18 and 11 counts of statutory rape or sexual penetration with a person under the age of 18, and other charges. He was out of custody on $400,000 bail, which was increased Thursday to $600,000. His parents posted the additional $200,000, and he remains out of jail, Gallagher said. He is scheduled to return to court on March 5.
