Willits man arrested on suspicion of arranging meeting with 14-year-old girl

A Willits man was arrested Tuesday after investigators say he attempted to arrange a meeting with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

Christopher Sironi, 38, was taken into custody March 31 following an investigation that began with a tip from a Pennsylvania man who told authorities he had uncovered possible online sexual exploitation involving a minor in Brooktrails.

The caller, who said he was in the early stages of forming a nonprofit focused on child protection, reported that he had created a fake online profile posing as a 14-year-old girl named “Rosie.” On March 19, an adult male later identified as Sironi contacted the profile on a social media platform, authorities said.

During their exchanges, Sironi acknowledged he believed he was communicating with a 14-year-old and initiated sexually explicit conversations, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators said Sironi also sent a photograph of himself, which helped confirm his identity through prior law enforcement contacts and publicly available information.

The Pennsylvania caller later arranged for a woman to speak with Sironi by phone while posing as the juvenile. During those conversations, Sironi allegedly agreed to meet “Rosie” in person.

On March 31, sheriff’s detectives and deputies set up surveillance of Sironi’s residence in the 1200 block of Tuck Road in Brooktrails after learning he was attempting to meet the girl, authorities said.

While under surveillance, Sironi spoke by phone with “Rosie,” who told him she was at the Brooktrails Airport and needed help finding his home. Deputies observed Sironi leave his residence and walk toward the airport, where he was arrested without incident, the sheriff’s office said.

Sironi was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on suspicion of sending explicit photographs to a minor and arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes. Bail was set at $25,000.

Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.