For a large portion of people living in this country, a vacation to Disneyland is part of the American dream. Unfortunately, police in California claim that one of the theme park’s employees attempted to cash in on this desire by attempting to use tickets to obtain sexual favors. He is now accused of multiple sex crimes as a result.
According to reports, the 27-year-old man was a dishwasher in a Disneyland hotel. Police say that he posted an ad on Craigslist seeking to exchange tickets to the amusement park for sexual favors. He reportedly set up a meeting when a young girl who he thought was 14 years old.
He allegedly showed up to meet who he thought was the girl with condoms and tickets. However, police claim that he had actually been communicating with an undercover police officer. He was arrested and now faces three charges related to the alleged incident. Disney officials claim that he never came into contact with park or hotel guests as part of his employment and was terminated once the allegations became known.
Because of the nature of the sex crimes against this young man, many people in California may be quick to assume that he is guilty. However, details involving allegations are often only released by the police and prosecutors, making it difficult to get a full picture of events. In all criminal cases, those accused or suspected of a crime are presumed innocent until proved otherwise. This standard is purposefully set high in order to prevent convictions of people whose alleged crimes are not adequately supported by evidence.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Disneyland employee tried to trade tickets for sex, prosecutors say“, Matt Hamilton, July 13, 2015