Watch CBS News

San Bernardino Investigators Say Loma Linda Sexual Predator May Have More Underage Victims That Have Not Yet Come Forward

LOMA LINDA (CBSLA) - Investigators believe Joshua Blackwell-Tallent, convicted in June 2020 of drugging and raping an underage girl, likely victimized even more young women before he was locked up. Police say the 32-year-old is a sexual predator.

Detectives looking into the the runaway report of Blackwell-Tallent's underage victim from last June learned that he first met the girl online.

They were able at the time to track them to a hotel room where the 32-year-old had arranged for the girl to be sent. Police were able to rescue the girl and arrest Blackwell-Tallent, but only after he drugged and repeatedly raped her.

"No woman should have to go through that, especially not a teenager," San Bernardino resident Danielle Bauchman told CBSLA's Nicole Comstock.

Investigators now say that while he has been in jail, they've learned of three other underage girls he groomed online. Two adult women also told police that they met Blackwell-Tallent through dating websites and that he scammed them out of substantial amounts of money.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department now believes there may be more victims out there and they want to know about it.

Bauchman and fellow San Bernardino resident Anna Tang both hope that if there are more victims that they will have the courage to come forward.

"...the more cases on him the better," Bauchman said. "Maybe he'll stay locked up longer."

Blackwell-Tallent is due to appear in court Friday and any victims are urged to contact the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.