10-year-old boy abducted by Xbox stranger in 6-hour drive

A 57-year-old individual has received a prison sentence following his conviction for grooming and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old child.

Javier Arizmendi was sentenced to a 54-year term on Monday (February 23), after a jury handed down a guilty verdict on December 10.

His charges included two counts of committing a lewd act with a child, kidnapping with the intent to molest, contacting a minor for kidnapping, sexual assault or other specific crimes, and organising a meeting for indecent purposes, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office (SCDAO).

Arizmendi encountered the 10-year-old victim during an Xbox Live session. He started by "grooming" the young boy, buying him add-ons for the game, and eventually sending him inappropriate messages, as reported by the authorities.

Arizmendi made arrangements for the child to travel to Los Angeles to engage in an inappropriate relationship and drove to Sacramento, where the boy lived, to pick him up.

After they got into the vehicle, they began heading towards L.A. During the trip, Arizmendi inappropriately touched the boy, causing the child to become upset, which led Arizmendi to return him to Sacramento. 

“Detectives later received a confession from Arizmendi about his intentions to start a sexual relationship with the boy in Los Angeles,” SCDAO stated.

Arizmendi might qualify for release during an Elder Parole hearing after serving 20 years. With in-custody credits, this hearing might occur as soon as 13 years from now, as per SCDAO.