Man facing sexual exploitation of minor charges

A "vile" roll of film dropped off at a Yuma Walgreens Drug Store has led to five felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor being filed against a 50-year-old man from Los Algodones, Baja Calif.

The film Lucio Zamacona dropped off for developing contained sexually explicit photos of a 9-year-old girl, prosecutor Jim Eustace of the Yuma County Attorney's Office said Tuesday during Zamacona's arraignment in Yuma Justice Court.

Justice of the Peace David Cooper set his bond at $257,665. Zamacona remained in the Yuma County jail Tuesday.

Eustace said Zamacona admitted taking the pictures of the girl, who lives with her mother in Los Algodones. The prosecutor described the photos as "pretty vile."

Zamacona was arrested by Yuma police on Saturday after he allegedly took a roll of film Thursday to be developed at the Walgreens on Avenue B and 24th Street, said YPD spokesman Clint Norred.

Photo lab employees processed the film Friday, noticed nine questionable images and immediately notified police, Norred said. Zamacona was arrested by YPD while he was driving in Yuma.

Eustace said in an interview that authorities do not yet know whether the pictures were taken in Los Algodones or in the Yuma area. Zamacona has a house in Yuma as well as the Mexican border city, he said.

The charges against him stem from being in possession of the pictures, Eustace said.

"Him knowingly having possession of child pornography is a violation of (Arizona state law)," the prosecutor said.

Zamacona's next court date, a preliminary hearing, is set for 4:45 p.m. April 2 in Yuma Justice Court

---
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.
Darin Fenger can be reached at dfenger@yumasun.com or 539-6860.