Willits Man Arrested After Undercover Investigation: Suspected of Attempting to Meet Minor for Lewd Purposes
WILLITS, CA — “On 03/20/2026 at approximately 1:23 P.M., Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to contact an adult male who lived in Pennsylvania. The reporting party had information pertaining to possible lewd acts with a child that were occurring in Brooktrails, CA. Based on the nature of the alleged acts, Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint investigation into the incident.
The caller advised he was in the early stages of starting a non-profit organization to protect children and he wanted to share information with law enforcement. The caller advised he created a fake online profile depicting a 14-year-old female juvenile named, ‘Rosie.’
On 03/19/2026, the caller from Pennsylvania was posing as the juvenile ‘Rosie’ and was ‘Friended’ on a website by an adult male from Brooktrails, CA. The adult male subject was identified as Christopher Sironi (38-year-old male from Willits). The reporting party from Pennsylvania and Sironi started communicating over the internet, at which time Sironi acknowledged the person he was communicating with was a 14-year-old female juvenile.
During their conversation, Sironi sent a photograph of himself, which confirmed Sironi’s identity through previous law enforcement contacts and online public sources.
Throughout Sironi and ‘Rosie’s’ online conversation, Sironi initiated sexual conversations with the subject posing as a 14-year-old female. The reporting party from Pennsylvania utilized a female to speak with Sironi on the telephone where ‘Rosie’ eventually agreed to travel to California with the intent to meet Sironi.
On 03/31/2026, Sheriff’s Office Investigators learned Sironi was attempting to meet with ‘Rosie.’ Sheriff’s Detectives and Deputies surveilled Sironi’s address in the 1200 block of Tuck Road in Brooktrails to gather additional investigative information.
While law enforcement watched Sironi’s residence, a telephone conversation between ‘Rosie’ and Sironi ensued. ‘Rosie’ told Sironi she was currently at the Brooktrails Airport and asked Sironi to meet and assist her with finding Sironi’s house.
Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office personnel observed Sironi during the phone call and surveilled as he left his residence and started walking towards the Brooktrails Airport.
Sironi was contacted and arrested by Sheriff’s Office personnel for the following charges:
288.2 (a)(2) PC – Sending explicit photographs to a minor.
288.4 (b) PC – Arranging a meeting with a minor to engage in lewd or lascivious behavior.
Sironi was subsequently booked at the Mendocino County Jail where he is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank non-profit organization from Pennsylvania for their dedication to protecting children and assistance during this investigation.
Anyone with information related to this incident is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at 707-463-4086 (option 1). Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the non-emergency tip-line at 707-234-2100.”
