Darin Ward arrested by HCSO for sex trafficking of a minor, employment of a minor for pornography and other sex crimes involving a minor

(2024 booking photo)

53 year old Darin Michael Ward was arrested by HCSO on a Ramey warrant yesterday and booked for PC 236.1(c)(2) sex trafficking of a minor by force or violence , PC 311.4 (b) employment of a minor for pornography, PC 288.3(a) contacting a minor with intent to commit a felony or sex crime and two charges of PC 288 (a) lewd or lascivious acts with a minor under 14 years old. Bail at booking is $1 million, 35,000.

The DA's office has not filed charges yet. Status is pending.  Besides his 2024 criminal case, Ward has one 2022 closed case for a name change petition and two open family law cases in Humboldt Superior Court which are listed as DV prevention with a minor child. The other party in the family law cases is Elizabeth McClure.

I will update the post with more information as I follow up on this arrest. HCSO PIO Meghan Ruiz is sending out a press release this afternoon with an updated booking photo and more information on this arrest. That press release was issued at 3:40 p.m. today and other than the Eureka location of 2900 block of Essex St, I had already posted everything else earlier.

A reader sent me some information and at this time as tempting as it is to post that information, I dont know if it is the same person. 

I did a search on my blog for the name Darin Michael Ward.

Readers can compare the 2021 posts, what the reader sent me and what I found on Facebook including a 2023 photo and compare it to the 2024 booking photo and come to their own conclusions if this is the same person. People sometimes have aliases, they list names differently on Facebook but unless and until the DA files charges and lists any aliases for the third time, I will caution readers from jumping to conclusions.

What reader sent me:

What I found on Facebook:

(the complete fb post)

(2023 fb photo I had to crop because the rest of it has a child)

HCSO Press Release:

On Sept. 19 in the afternoon, Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant and an arrest warrant on the 2900 block of Essex St., Eureka. 

Darin Michael Ward, age 53, of Eureka, was taken into custody following a search of the residence. Evidence of the criminal activity was seized at the residence.  

Ward was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on the following charges:

2 counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor—PC 288(a)

Contact with minor intent to commit specified offense—PC 288.3(a)

Promoting/using/persuading or inducing underage-obscene matter—PC 311.4(b)

Human trafficking—PC 236.1(c)(2)

Ward’s bail amount is set at $1,035,000. 

This case is still under investigation.