Paradise Vice Mayor Suspected Of Sending Lewd Photos To Undercover Officer Posing As Teen

PARADISE (CBS13) — The Vice Mayor of the town of Paradise has been arrested on suspicion of sending sexually explicit messages to an undercover officer posing as a teenager.

According to the Butte County Sheriff's Office, they were first tipped off in February by a man scorned by a bad business deal he had with Michael Zuccolillo. Detectives say the man took on the persona of a 16-year-old girl online and targeted Zuccolillo in a self-described "to catch a predator" operation.

Detectives say they were leery of the information, based on the reporting party's motivation. But, due to the seriousness of the allegations, they started their own independent investigation.

With the help of the Butte County District Attorney's Office and the FBI, detectives obtained search warrants that uncovered records validating the allegations.

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Further, an undercover law enforcement detective posing as the 16-year-old girl also started exchanging messages with the suspect. Detectives say the man sent more sexually explicit messages and photos.

On Tuesday, the sheriff's office announced that a criminal complaint had been filed against Zuccolillo. He turned himself in to Butte County Jail but since posted the $135,000 bail.

Zuccolillo is facing charges of arraigning to meet with a minor for lewd or lascivious behavior, sending harmful material to a minor, and communicating with a minor for the purpose of sex.

In his bio on the Town of Paradise's website, Zuccolillo was elected as Vice Mayor for a one-year term ending in December. He has lived in Paradise for nearly a decade and is also a local real estate broker.

Paradise Mayor Greg Bolin issued a statement Tuesday evening in regard to Zuccolillo's arrest: "The Paradise Town Council members, along with many members of the public, were surprised to learn of Vice-Mayor Zuccolillo's arrest today. This matter is very serious, and the Town understands there is a criminal justice process that will now take place. Since this is an ongoing criminal matter, the Town will have no further comment on this subject. We will continue to focus on rebuilding our Town and bringing our residents and businesses back home."