San Francisco, CA – Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced that Jorge Nieto (27) of San Francisco; Michael Pauter (43) of San Mateo; Jhonny Rodriguez Diaz (37) of Redwood City; Romuald Santiago (32) of Daly City; and Reuben Teague (50) of San Francisco have been charged with multiple felony counts in connection to an undercover sting operation involving minors conducted by the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office (SFSO).
Mr. Nieto was arraigned on July 31, 2026 and pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied all allegations. He is charged with two felony counts of meeting a minor for lewd purposes (288.4(b)) and two misdemeanor counts of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes (288.4(a)(1)).
Mr. Pauter was arraigned on July 31, 2026 and pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied all allegations. He is charged with two felony counts of meeting a minor for lewd purposes (288.4(b)) and two misdemeanor counts of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes (288.4(a)(1)).
Mr. Rodriguez Diaz was arraigned on August 3, 2026 and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is charged with one misdemeanor count of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes (288.4(a)(1)).
Mr. Santiago was arraigned on August 3, 2026 and pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied all allegations. He is charged with two felony counts of meeting a minor for lewd purposes (288.4(b)) and two misdemeanor counts of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes (288.4(a)(1)).
Mr. Teague was arraigned on August 3, 2026 and pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied all allegations. He is charged with two felony counts of meeting a minor for lewd purposes (288.4(b)), two misdemeanor counts of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes (288.4(a)(1)), and one misdemeanor count of resisting, obstructing, delaying of a peace officer or EMT (148(a)(1)).
According to court documents, on July 29 and July 30, 2026, undercover officers from the SFSO and local Bay Area counties, as well as officers from out of state (Florida) and the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center participated in an Internet Crimes Against Children Undercover Chat Operation. The objective of this operation was to identify adult subjects utilizing Internet platforms to exploit and meet with children for sexual purposes. Using an online platform, undercover officers communicated with individuals interested in meeting with young children for the purpose of sexual conduct.
Mr. Nieto, Mr. Pauter, Mr. Rodriguez Diaz, Mr. Santiago, and Mr. Teague each separately messaged with the undercover officers and engaged in graphic, sexual language indicating their intent to engage in sexual conduct with the children. After messaging, each requested to meet in person. The undercover officers provided the address of a location in San Francisco, where Mr. Nieto, Mr. Pauter, Mr. Santiago, and Mr. Teague each separately showed up and confirmed that they went to that address to see the children. They then walked into the house and were each arrested by San Francisco Sheriff Deputies.
Mr. Nieto, Mr. Pauter, Mr. Santiago, and Mr. Teague are currently in custody. The District Attorney’s Office moved to have them detained pending trial due to the public safety risk they pose. The court granted the motion to detain pending trial without prejudice.
The next court dates can be found using the court numbers listed below.
Court Numbers:
Nieto, 26017780
Pauter, 26017793
Rodriguez Diaz, 26017930
Santiago, 26017878
Teague, 26017886
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