LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Police Department are looking for 53-year-old Gilardo Vadillo Nunez, who has been charged with a felony for molesting young girls during photography sessions.

Nunez is well-known among the Hispanic population in the San Fernando Valley for photographing quinceaneras and has been contracted under Hollywood Photo and Video for at least five years. Quinceaneras are a Latin American tradition and rite of passage celebrating a girl’s fifteenth birthday.

The victims were targeted during photography sessions usually performed at Brand Park.

“Nunez would video himself touching the victims as the girls posed in his Humvee [car] at local parks” says a news release from the LAPD released on January 27. His wife was often present, but has claimed to be unaware of the crimes. She has not been implicated in the felony. Detectives have identified four victims all under the age of 15.

“It’s sad and maddening that this man used the victim’s quinceaneras as a way to find his victims,” said Lieutenant Paul Vernon, commanding officer of the Mission Detective Division. “Nunez’s own video, taken inside the Humvee is our best evidence in one case.”

In Nunez’s Panorama City residence, detectives found a hidden closet where they recovered computers and memory cards from cameras that were segregated from the other equipment in the house.

“These items are undergoing forensic analysis and we can expect to find other victims,” Lt. Vernon said.

Nunez drives a yellow Humvee with license plate 5CUK746. Nunez is 5 feet 5 inches, medium build and has a receding hairline. There is a warrant out for his arrest with a charge of felony Lewd Act on a Child with bail set at $1 million.

Anyone with information on this crime is urged to call Detective Nicole Kittle at 818-838-9975, or Marc Madero at 818-838-9969.  Anonymous tips can be called into Crimestoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477), or by texting 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.”  Online tips may be placed at www.LAPDOnline.org by clicking on “webtips” and following the prompts.