San Mateo County Social Worker Arrested for Having Sex with Teen Client

By Bay City News Service:

Police arrested a San Mateo County social worker on suspicion of having sex with a 16-year-old girl he was supposed to help, county sheriff’s officials said Wednesday.

Deputies arrested Manuel Sedillo, 38, of Santa Clara, at about 12:15 p.m. Tuesday in Palo Alto on suspicion of unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under 18, oral copulation with a person under 18, sexual penetration with a person under 18, and disseminating sexual imagery to a person under 18 years old.

Earlier this month, sheriff’s officials said a 16-year-old girl reported she had been having sex with her prior social worker assigned by the San Mateo County Department of Children and Family Services.

Deputies said they opened an investigation with the support of the Department of Children and Family Services and found evidence corroborating the girl’s claims.

Sedillo was already on administrative leave for an “unrelated employee matter,” and was already not working when the allegations were disclosed, sheriff’s officials said.

Representatives from the Department of Children and Family Services were not immediately available for comment.

Sedillo was booked into San Mateo County Jail and later posted $400,000 bail, deputies said. He is scheduled for arraignment on Dec. 1.

Sheriff’s officials said they are concerned about the possibility that other girls may have been victimized.

Anyone who may have been victimized or who may have information about the case is asked to contact Detective Dan Hoss at (650) 363-4066 or dhoss@smcgov.org or Detective Jesse Myers at (650) 363-4050 or jrmyers@smcgov.org.