Man planned to meet up with child in SLO to have sex, sheriff says. He was arrested instead
A 67-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after he traveled to San Luis Obispo with the intention of having sex with a child, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.
Mark Richard Hershey of Caliente had made “electronic contact with someone he thought was a minor living in San Luis Obispo County,” the agency said in a Thursday news release.
“The man had agreed to meet with the minor for sex,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Hershey traveled from the small town east of Bakersfield to San Luis Obispo to meet with the child, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla.
Once Hershey arrived at the agreed upon location to meet the child, Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested him, the release said.
Hershey was arrested on suspicion of sending or showing harmful material to seduce a minor, contacting a minor with the intent to commit certain felonies and arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes, according to the release.
Hershey did not appear to be in San Luis Obispo County Jail custody as of Thursday afternoon.
This story was originally published October 26, 2023 at 2:47 PM.
