A man who claimed to be a child predator hunter was arrested in Rogers for allegedly possessing child pornography, according to court documents.
Brandon San-Miguel, 38, was arrested on June 17 on 10 counts of distributing, possessing or viewing sexually explicit conduct involving a child and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed on July 3, Rogers police conducted a traffic stop on San-Miguel on June 17 for outstanding warrants out of California for child pornography.
San-Miguel Claimed He was a Predator Hunter, Used Fake Accounts to Lure Predators into Sending Child Porn
San-Miguel was first arrested on a drug charge after debit and credit cards in other people's names, drug paraphernalia and a semi-automatic rifle were found.
San-Miguel was taken to jail and an inventory of his personal items was taken which included cell phones, flash drives, SIM cards and laptops. During a forensic search of the electronic devices, investigators found child pornography.
San-Miguel later told detectives he was part of an online "predator hunter" group and would set up fake accounts to get people to send him child porn, according to the affidavit.
He said he would save the material sent to him and provide it to police. San-Miguel said he has previously provided evidence to the San Diego Police Department.
San-Miguel claimed he used cell phones and laptops to conduct undercover operations and reported that at the time of his arrest, he was still active in predator hunting. "Brandon continually said he was not a bad person and that he wanted to help law enforcement," the affidavit said.
Child Pornography Previously Found on San-Miguel's Phone
Officers reviewed San-Miguel's criminal history and found he was arrested in 2019 for "alien smuggling" and in 2023 for possession of a controlled substance while armed, possession of a controlled substance for sale, unlawful vehicle registration, and transport/sale of narcotics.
On June 18, RPD contacted the Orange County Sheriff's Office in California, who said that after San-Miguel's 2023 arrest, his devices were searched. OCSO found 47 child porn videos, 14 pictures. The average age of the victims was found to be between nine and 11 years old, the affidavit said.
Rogers Police said they also found Google searches on one device that said "In Arkansas an adult can date a 16-year-old" and "What are some teen dating apps girls in Arkansas use?"
He is being held in the Benton County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond and has a court date set for August 12.
