A 27-year-old Spring Valley man is under investigation for allegedly driving more than an hour away to prey on a 12-year-old girl, officials said.
Spring Valley resident Scott Stilwell is facing two felony charges, including meeting a minor for a lewd and lascivious act.
The rendezvous happened around 2 a.m. Monday morning, when father Tim LeBlanc woke up in his Riverside County home to find his daughter not asleep in her room.
“I probably wouldn’t have a daughter if I hadn’t caught this,” said LeBlanc.
Every night, he says, he wakes up to check on his kids. When he noticed his daughter’s open window, he panicked and jumped in his truck.
Up the street, he found his daughter, about to get into 27-year-old’s Xtera SUV. The back door was open.
“You hear about it, but never really think about it. Just sick,” LeBlanc said. “Just mentally, you know. Just a predator, you know.”
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When LeBlac confronted him, he says Stilwell started yelling, saying that he was 16-years-old.
The victim’s father said Stilwell made contact with his daughter on Instagram about a month ago before he lured her onto another social media site, KiK, all while enticing her with gifts.
The suspect’s family told NBC7 they are "blown away" by the accusations and say their son has mental health issues.
LeBlanc says when Stilwell took a swing at him, he knocked him out with one punch. He says he was able to subdue the suspected predator until authorities arrives.
The incident touched on one of his worst fears.
“That she was gone forever, the world we live in, there are such sick people, there are some horrible people out there,” LeBlanc said. “There’s also sex trafficking.”
LeBlanc admits he is a hyper-vigilant dad, but says the incident will make him even more aware of his daughter’s actions in the future.
“[Young children] are so impressionable,” LeBlanc said. “Try to continue the education.”
