Orange County couple charged with child pornography, Costa Mesa police search for more victims

An Orange County couple is facing charges of possession and distribution of child pornography after an undercover sting operation captured a Lake Forest man initially suspected of attempting to meet a minor for a sex act, according to reports from CBS News Los Angeles and confirmed by other media outlets. Jonathan Garduno, 30, was arrested after a Costa Mesa Police Department Special Investigations detective, posing online as a 15-year-old girl, discovered his suspected illicit intent; subsequent searches turned up disturbing evidence on his devices.

After Garduno’s Sept. 7 encounter in Costa Mesa, which ended in an arrest after he planned to meet an undercover detective with a 15-year-old boy, he posted bail that day. The investigation continued, however, and took a serious turn when police later found videos and photos of child pornography on his cellphone and evidence that pointed to the distribution of the illegal material to others, including his 29-year-old girlfriend Khyla Kauffeld, the OC Register reported.

Both Garduno and Kauffeld were arrested after an additional search of their shared home by Costa Mesa police detectives and Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force officers uncovered more evidence of child pornography. The depth of their alleged involvement in this atrocities came into sharper focus, raising pressing questions about whether there may be more victims who have not yet been identified. Both suspects were released on bail again Friday.

In light of these disturbing findings, the Costa Mesa Police Department has emphasized the need for public assistance in identifying any additional potential victims, sharing the belief that there may be additional individuals who suffered at the hands of the accused couple and “due to the combination of Garduno attempting to meet a 15-year-old girl with the intent to commit a sex act and the additional evidence of child pornography recovered by detectives, CMPD is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying any additional potential victims,” ​​FOX LA reported. Any information regarding this case can be directed to Costa Mesa detectives at (714) 754-4937.