Goleta, Calif. – Sheriff’s detectives have arrested a Goleta man for several felony child sex crimes and are reaching out to the public to identify additional survivors and provide safety information for parents monitoring children’s social media. Detectives began investigating a case regarding lewd images of children in April 2025 and identified the suspect as 42-year-old Shaun Donald Hertlein from Goleta. Detectives also learned that Hertlein worked with children through his affiliation with church in the 5800-block of Cathedral Oaks Road as well as assistant coaching for freshman boys football.

On Friday, May 9, 2025, detectives arrested Hertlein on a warrant and booked him at the Main Jail for felonies including sending sexual images to a minor, electronic communication with a minor with intent to commit specific crimes, and possession of obscene images of a child. He remains in custody with bail set at $500,000.

To help keep children safe online, Sheriff’s Detectives offer the following online safety tips:

1. Stay Involved and Informed
   Know what platforms, apps, and websites your child uses. Create your own accounts on these platforms and connect with your child when possible.
2. Set Clear Rules and Expectations
   Establish household rules for screen time and acceptable online behavior. Make sure children understand that they should never share personal information or photos with people they don’t know. Children should never share intimate photos online with anyone.
3. Use Parental Controls and Privacy Settings
   Activate parental controls on devices and apps. Adjust privacy settings to restrict who can contact your child, view their content, or follow them.
4. Have Ongoing, Open Conversations
   Talk regularly with your child about their online experiences. Encourage them to come to you if someone makes them feel uncomfortable or asks them to keep a secret.
5. Watch for Red Flags
   Be alert for warning signs, such as sudden secrecy, changes in mood, or use of new apps you didn’t authorize. Be especially cautious if your child is chatting with someone who encourages them to move to another app or private messaging platform.
6. Guard Against Platform Hopping
   Predators often build trust on mainstream platforms and then push children to riskier apps with less oversight—such as encrypted chat services, anonymous forums, or video chat rooms. Know the signs and discourage use of unfamiliar or unsupervised apps.
7. Report Suspicious Activity
   If you believe your child is being targeted or exploited online, report it to your local law enforcement agency immediately.

Sheriff’s detectives believe there could be additional survivors who may have had contact with Hertlein and they would like to encourage them to seek justice. Detectives encourage anyone with knowledge of additional crimes associated with Hertlein to please contact Detective F. Arnoldi by phone at (805)681-4150. If you would like to be anonymous, you can submit information online at: sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip or by calling (805)681-4171.

Detectives understand that survivors may have cause to be reluctant to come forward. We would like survivors to know that Sheriff’s detectives coordinate closely with the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, Victim-Witness Program to ensure the needs of survivors are not overshadowed by the focus on the investigation and prosecution of the accused. Victim Advocates are available to ensure that survivors are kept informed and supported throughout the criminal justice process. Survivors have the option of contacting the Victim-Witness Assistance Program directly at (805)568-2400 or toll free at (855)840-3232.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind survivors that they can also find support services through our community partner, Standing Together to End Sexual Assault (STESA). Services offered by STESA include a confidential 24-Hour hotline, legal and medical advocacy and accompaniment, and counseling. You can reach a STESA advocate at any time by calling (805) 564-3696.