Victorville

Victorville Man Arrested for Sex Act in Front of Minor

A high desert man was taken into custody Tuesday after investigators say he was seen on cellphone video performing a sex act in front of a teenage boy.

Family members say the incident happened in Victorville as the boy was walking home.

A 16-year-old boy recorded cellphone video because his brother said a man in a black BMW began following him home Monday. He said he started recording because he had a feeling something bad was about to happen.

The man was allegedly masturbating while asking, "What time is it?"

"He wanted my brother to watch him for some reason," the victim's brother Jeremiah Dugan said.

Dugan says his brother kept walking and as the man drove off, he took a picture of the back of the man's car.

"This is apparently the second time my brother has seen him. The first time was a few months back," Dugan said.

Dugan said because his brother didn't have proof of that first incident, he made sure to record the Monday incident.

That video helped lead detectives to a home a few miles away, where they say they located 27-year-old Brad Winston Powell, who is believed to be the suspect.

A black BMW was seen in the driveway of Powell's home similar to the one seen in the cellphone video.

Neighbors were horrified.

"It's creepy," Victorville resident Tina Freeland said.

Dugan said ever since he posted the video on Facebook, he has heard from others who say they, too, had similar encounters.

"They saw him while they were in a car and he was beside them and he had made gestures," Dugan said.

Investigators believe there could be more victims and encourage them to reach out. Anyone who recognizes the suspect is asked to call the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Victorville Station at 760-241-2911.

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