BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — He told her she was cute and sexy. He said she made him happy.
Bakersfield police Detective Marc Lugo paid those compliments to a 15-year-old girl whom he instructed how to pose and perform sexually explicit acts in videos and photos sent online, authorities say in court documents that recently became available.
Lugo, 35 at the time of his arrest, was arraigned last week on federal charges alleging sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt and distribution of child pornography. He remains in custody and is scheduled for a detention hearing Tuesday.
If convicted, he faces decades in prison.
The teen told investigators they never met in person, and the only image she received from Lugo’s account was a picture of a man’s abs — she wasn’t sure if the person in the photo was actually Lugo — with a cat emoji covering his face.
Kern County sheriff’s officials say an investigation began in late April after they learned an Instagram account linked to Lugo was sending sexually explicit messages to an underage girl in South Carolina.
They learned the girl had been encouraged to send sexually explicit material in online conversations that began in September 2023, officials said in the court filings.
In the chats, the girl says she’s 15 and in high school.
“I wish I could see you,” Lugo wrote according to the filings. “I’d have my way with you immediately.”
For some videos the girl, at Lugo’s instruction, held up a piece of paper with her age and lewd comments written on it, the filings say.
She was later told to delete the messages.
“I don’t want either of us to get in trouble and I have a lot of stuff going on right now,” said a message sent to her in November 2023. “I really like you but I want you to delete our messages and remove me. It’s for the best.”
About a month passed before the girl was contacted again.
“I’ve had a little break but you know what daddy wants to see,” Lugo wrote according to the filings. “Send me a video.”
The chats feature numerous sexually graphic messages.
A warrant was served May 5 at Lugo’s home in northwest Bakersfield. Two iPhones were seized, both of which had “hidden” applications not immediately noticeable during a search, the filings say.
Sexually explicit videos and images featuring the teen were found on both phones, according to the filings.
In June, investigators interviewed the girl. She said she believed the person she was communicating with was in his 20s. They discussed meeting in person but never made “serious plans.”
Asked about the times she held up the paper with her age and obscene comments, the girl said she did it to get compliments, according to the filings.
Afterward, she’d feel bad, tear up the paper and flush the pieces down the toilet, she told investigators.
As of last week, Lugo remained on administrative leave. He’s a former K-9 handler and special victims unit detective.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News.