SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A 22-year-old babysitter was arrested on suspicion of molesting children, San Diego Police Department officials said.
According to SDPD officials, Zayne St. Julien, a Poway resident, is accused in reported molestation incidents that occurred between July 2022 and December 2022.
Police said the cases “involved three unrelated boys who at the time were seven, eight, and 11 years old.” According to San Diego Police, the boys' parents hired St. Julien through the babysitting website SitterCity.
Police stated, "One of the parents reported the molestation of her child to SDPD in November. Detectives immediately began to investigate and with the assistance of SitterCity personnel, two other boys were identified as victims. Their parents reported their children’s molestations to detectives in December. St. Julien reportedly committed each molestation in the boys’ homes.”
SDPD detectives and San Diego Harbor Police officers arrested St. Julien on Dec. 20 as he got off a plane at San Diego International Airport.
He was booked into San Diego County Jail on multiple child molestation charges, according to police. SDPD officials said they are looking for any other possible victims.
Anyone with information on the case or suspect is urged to contact the SDPD Child Abuse Unit at 619-531-2260 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
SitterCity officials issued this statement to ABC 10News:
"Sittercity was founded on the commitment to provide a safe, trusted platform where families select and hire local caregivers. As a company of moms and dads, ourselves, news like this is heartbreaking. While Sittercity does not employ or recommend caregivers, we actively leverage tools and resources to screen and monitor caregivers, including identity authentication, sex offender registry checks and background checks, among other proactive safeguards both at registration and while active on the platform.
Mr. St. Julien had been active on the Sittercity platform since June 2019, and prior to this incident, Sittercity never received any complaints about him. Since joining Sittercity, 11 background checks were completed on him with none identifying any criminal history. Upon receiving a complaint about Mr. St. Julien, we immediately contacted the police, terminated him from the platform, and notified any family with whom he had ever communicated.
As an industry leader, Sittercity works closely with law enforcement, policy makers and industry peers to advance safeguards and the most up-to-date safety and security measures that will enhance the ability of families to make the most informed decisions when choosing care providers."
