'Hey, It's Dad!' South Bay Schemer Allegedly Posed As Texting Relative To Get Teen Girls To Send Pics

A man was arrested Thursday in a scheme to solicit teenaged girls in Santa Cruz County to send him provocative cell phone photos after he posed as a family member in text messages, according to the sheriff's office.

Scott Angelo, 29, was arrested at his Sunnyvale home where deputies seized at least 50 pictures he obtained from victims living in Santa Cruz County, sheriff's spokesman Deputy Ryan Kennedy said.

The investigation that led to Angelo's arrest began on June 9, when deputies learned about a suspect conducting an elaborate ruse to obtain photos of teen girls by text message, Kennedy said.

According to the sheriff's office, Angelo would send a text to a teen telling them he was a relative and had recently changed his cell phone number.

He would then write a message saying that the daughter of a co-worker had a line of swim suits and asked if the girl was interested in modeling for the non-existent business.

Angelo would furnish a different contact number for the fictitious swimsuit company that was actually his number and direct the teens to send their photos to the number by text.

In one text to a victim that was used as evidence by deputies, Angelo allegedly wrote "Hey, it's Dad. This is my new number. I had to change it for work. They changed their service and gave everyone new numbers."

The suspect's next message read: "Also, one of my co-worker's daughters has her own swimwear line. She wanted me to ask you if you would be interested in helping her promote her stuff..."

Santa Cruz deputies coordinated their investigation into the scheme with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and linked Angelo to four other cases in Santa Cruz County as well as one each in the states of Indiana and Maryland, Kennedy said.

The sheriff's office urges anyone with information about additional victims of the scheme to notify Deputy April Skalland at (831) 454-7622.

--Bay City News