Roseville police arrest 3 men accused of trying to meet with young girls for sex

Roseville police announced Thursday the arrests of three men on suspicion of contacting young girls for sex.

The arrests were made at the end of August after detectives from the Crime Suppression Unit observed the men make contact with the girls through social media platforms, often sending messages that were “extremely explicit in nature,” police said.

“Conversations, on various social media platforms, lasted anywhere from two weeks to one month,” according to a Roseville Police Department news release.

The department named two of the three suspects: Edward Prescott, 61, and David Ballou, 47. They were arrested on suspicion of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes, among other charges. The third suspect was not named because the statute of limitations for announcing the arrest expired, police spokesman Rob Baquera said.

Prescott was arrested Aug. 20 after leaving a hotel room on Harding Boulevard in Roseville, the department said. He had allegedly booked a hotel room with the purpose of meeting the young girl “for sexual purposes” and to provide methamphetamine to her, according to the release. Prescott was confronted by detectives while walking to meet the girl.

“Evidence was located to show Prescott had intentions of meeting an underage female for the purposes of a sexual encounter, and was in possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia,” police said.

Ballou was arrested a week later when he agreed to meet a girl at an undetermined location in Roseville. He did not follow through with the meeting arrangement, but because of the conversation between him and the girl, detectives served a search warrant to his home Wednesday.

“Detectives routinely utilize social media to find online sexual predators,” the department said. “These cases help to serve as reminders for parents to be alert to their children’s social media accounts and to send a clear message to those sexual predators who might think twice about trying to victimize youth in Roseville.”