Crime & Safety

Canadian Man Held to Answer for Flying to SFO to Meet San Mateo Teen for Sex

Adam Ouellette, 26, has been arrested twice in connection with allegedly flying to California to meet a San Mateo teenage girl for sex.

A Canadian man who allegedly engaged in an online sexual conversation with a 16-year-old San Mateo girl then flew to California to meet her has been ordered to stand trial by a San Mateo County Superior Court judge.

Adam Ouellette, 26, of Calgary, Alberta, was arrested twice in connection with the case, most recently in May in San Diego, San Mateo Police Sgt. Dave Norris said.

At his preliminary hearing Wednesday, Ouellette was held to answer on a felony and misdemeanor charge of arranging to meet a minor for the purpose of engaging in lewd or lascivious acts, as well as a misdemeanor charge of child annoyance, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

San Mateo people became involved when detectives received information from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that Ouellette was participating in an online conversation with the teenage girl, according to Norris.

"The conversation appeared to indicate that Ouellette was intending to meet the underage girl for sex," Norris said.

San Mateo detectives pursued the conversation, posing undercover as the "girl" online.

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Ouellette arranged to fly to San Francisco International Airport to meet with the "girl" for sex the evening of March 19. 

San Mateo detectives, the Calgary Police Service and the Southern Alberta Internet Child Exploitation Team maintained surveillance as Ouellette boarded the plane in Calgary.

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Special agents with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Airport Division at SFO also aided in the surveillance.

Upon his arrival at SFO, Ouellette was arrested. He was ultimately booked into San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of Attempted Statutory Rape, and Arranging to Have Sex With a Minor.

In the follow-up investigation, however, San Mateo detectives discovered the presence of child pornography on an electronic device possessed by Ouellette.

Detectives, learning that Ouellette had bailed out of San Mateo County Jail on the initial booking, obtained an additional arrest warrant from the San Mateo County Superior Court for Possession of Child Pornography and some additional charges related to Arranging Sex with a Minor.

With the assistance of the San Diego Police Department, Ouellette was located and arrested at a relative’s home in San Diego.

The case was continued to July 17 at 8:45 a.m. for the superior court arraignment.  

Ouellette remains out of custody on $120,000 bail bond.


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