La Porte Predator Uses Gaming Platform to Target and Groom 12-year-old Girl
LA PORTE, TX — A 20-year-old La Porte resident is being held without bond in Harris County after a digital forensic investigation revealed he utilized an online gaming platform to target, groom, and abuse a 12-year-old girl, police announced.
Dominic Santiagososa was arrested by the La Porte Police Department on Thursday, July 16, 2026. He has been formally charged with Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, a first-degree felony carrying up to a life sentence in Texas. The case is being handled by the Harris County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Division.
Gaming Platform Used to Target Child
The investigation was launched on April 16, 2026, by the La Porte Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit.
Detectives discovered that Santiagososa initiated contact with the 12-year-old victim on an online platform commonly used for video gaming. He successfully convinced the child to bypass the gaming platform’s safety filters by exchanging personal cell phone numbers and email addresses. Once off the primary platform, the communications progressed over several months and eventually evolved to an explicitly sexual nature.
Subpoenas Uncover Explicit Media and Physical Meetings
During the multi-month probe, digital forensic investigators secured legal warrants to intercept and audit data from Santiagososa’s email accounts.
The digital extraction confirmed active, long-term solicitation of the child. Furthermore, investigators recovered metadata and messages proving Santiagososa had transmitted sexually explicit images to the minor.
The emails also contained detailed communication logs revealing that the digital grooming had crossed over into physical proximity. The records showed Santiagososa met with the young girl in person on multiple separate occasions to engage in illicit sexual activity.
Law Enforcement Statement: Following Santiagososa’s booking, local authorities reiterated their focus on monitoring online spaces popular with children:
“The La Porte Police Department and the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children’s task force remain committed to protecting the youth of our communities and arresting those who attempt to exploit and prey on children.”
Santiagososa has been processed into the Harris County jail system. Parents are encouraged to routinely audit their children’s direct messages and friend lists within interactive online gaming ecosystems.
