Shasta County Undercover Operation Leads to Arrest of New Mexico Man on Child Sex and Human Trafficking Charges

This is a press release from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:

In August 2025, the Shasta County Major Crimes Unit began an operation involving an undercover decoy posing as a 14-year-old girl on an online platform. The undercover decoy began chatting with a 46-year-old male, later identified as John Christophe Kay, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

During subsequent conversations, Kay made plans with the undercover decoy for her to fly to New Mexico for the purposes of having sexual relations. Kay offered the undercover decoy money for her plane ticket and additional money to be earned by performing sexual favors.

Additionally, Kay instructed the undercover decoy to go along with a fictious story claiming he had a daughter the decoy had met online. Kay then communicated via text with who he believed to be the undercover decoy’s guardian to get permission for the undercover decoy to come stay with him and his “daughter” in New Mexico. The “guardian” Kay was communicating with was also an undercover detective. Kay arranged with the “guardian” to pick up the undercover decoy at the airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico on December 30, 2025. As a result of this investigation, a felony arrest warrant was obtained for Kay on December 19, 2025, for the following charges:

288.3(a) PC Contacting a Minor with Sexual Intent

236.1(c)(1) PC Human Trafficking

288.4(a)(1) PC Arranging to Meet with a Minor for Sexual Intent

266i(b)(2) PC Pandering a Minor Under the Age of 16-years-old

Albuquerque Police and Rio Rancho Police were notified of the case, and on Monday, December 29, 2025, Detectives with the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit travelled to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Working in cooperation with local police, on December 30, 2025, at approximately 3:30 PM, Kay arrived at the airport as initially planned and was taken into custody without incident. A search warrant was served at
Kay’s residence where electronics were seized.

Kay was arrested and booked into the Sandoval County Jail on human trafficking charges in New Mexico, and the Shasta County warrant.

Kay’s bail is set at $1.2 million, and he is awaiting extradition to Shasta County.

The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Albuquerque and Rio Rancho Police Departments for their assistance in this investigation. This case also serves as a reminder to the public that online predators actively seek to exploit children through social media, gaming platforms, and messaging applications. The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office urges parents and guardians to maintain open communication with their children about online activity, monitor digital interactions, and educate minors about the dangers of sharing personal information or communicating with unknown individuals. Any suspicious or inappropriate online contact involving a minor should be reported to law enforcement.