SANTA MONICA—During the evening of Thursday, January 5, police related that a Santa Monica man was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl he met while utilizing a mobile text application similar to a chat room.
Police arrested 32-year-old Brian Anthony Marks on January 3 at 6:45 a.m. at his northeastern Santa Monica home and served a search warrant of the premises, according booking details and a police department statement. Marks was booked at the Santa Monica Jail later that morning at 8:14 a.m. on lewd lascivious acts with a child and sexual relationship with a minor, both felonies. He was released from custody during the afternoon when his $500,000 bail was paid.
Investigators began on December 14 looking into the sexual assault allegations and determined that Marks developed an ongoing sexual relationship with the underage girl after he communicated with her via text app in September of 2011. And police have not ruled out the possibility that Marks could have similarly preyed on other girls.
Anyone with information to relate about possible sexual assaults on other minors can call Detective Leslie Trapnell at 310-458-2256, Sergeant Renaldi Thurston at 310-458-8414, the SMPD at 310-458-8495 or anonymously call 800-782-7463.
