SAN DIEGO - A San Diego man who allegedly used his knowledge of technology to get babysitters to bring him young children to molest waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday and had his case set for trial next spring.
Jared Yaffe, 30, faces 20 counts, including an allegation that he kidnapped a 3-year-old boy to an El Cajon hotel room, molested him and filmed acts of child pornography.
Two other two alleged molestations happened in Alameda County but will be part of the case in San Diego, said Deputy District Attorney Matthew Greco.
In all, the defendant is accused of molesting three children -- ages 3, 7, and 11 -- and filming two other minors under the age of 18, Greco said.
Yaffe, who faces more than 145 years to life in prison if convicted, fled the country after the charges were filed in February and was arrested three months later in Brazil.
Investigators who searched Yaffe's home in San Diego found numerous photos of children engaged in sex acts on his computer and cell phone, according to court documents.
During this morning's hearing, Yaffe stipulated that there is probable cause that the charges against him are true and had his trial set for April 19.
Outside court, Greco alleged that Yaffe used computer technology such as You Tube and MySpace to "find victims to satisfy his sexual fantasies."
At Yaffe's arraignment in July, Greco called the defendant a "master manipulator" who allegedly exploited children with whom he came into contact.
Yaffe encrypted computers and leveraged social networks to contact babysitters and his victims, Greco alleged.
The defendant also paid babysitter Aaron Zendejas a couple hundred dollars to bring him the child to molest in San Diego County in June 2008, the prosecutor alleged.
Yaffe allegedly convinced the 3-year-old to perform a sex act on him by promising to take the child to McDonald's, according to court documents.
Zendejas, 24, pleaded guilty last week to kidnapping the 3-year-old boy and selling the toddler to Yaffe. Zendejas also pleaded guilty to production of child pornography.
Zendejas will be sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on Dec. 1.
