Mississippi Man Arrested After Online Interactions With CA Child: PD

ROHNERT PARK, CA — Following an investigation that started nearly a year ago in Rohnert Park, a Mississippi man has been charged with multiple counts of possession of child pornography and another count of enticement of a child for sexual conduct, local police said Friday.

The investigation began May 5, 2022, when officers who were interacting with youth at a local middle school were approached by a juvenile inquiring about adult men messaging minors, Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety Spokesperson J.P. Pritchard said in a news release.

Officers learned the child was contacted and solicited online by a man who identified himself as a 20-year-old who was aware of the child's age.

The investigation was turned over to Rohnert Park detectives who conducted an extensive investigation that led to the out-of-state arrest of John Michael Aven, 30, a parolee out of Coldwater, Mississippi, Pritchard said.

Detectives worked closely with Investigator Destin Johnson of the Tate County Sheriff’s Office to coordinate Aven's arrest. He was taken into custody Oct. 25, 2022, by the Tate County Sheriff’s Office and arrested on suspicion of possession of child pornography and enticement of a child to produce visual depiction of sexual conduct.

Aven was also arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm after multiple firearms were found in a search of his residence.

Aven was held in Tate County Jail without bail pending formal charges.

In mid-April, Rohnert Park detectives were notified by Tate County sheriff’s investigators that Aven remained in custody and had been formally indicted in Mississippi on the updated charges of one felony count of enticement of a child to produce visual depiction of sexual conduct, 10 felony counts of possession of child pornography, and one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety Detective Fermin Ramirez framirez@rpcity.org or 707-588-3597.