Bay Area man arrested, charged for second time in two months on suspicion of soliciting sex acts

"Michael Tarvid, 63, was charged Wednesday in Sonoma County Superior Court with possession of a controlled substance and pandering, or arranging a place for sex work, with an enhancement for committing a felony while on bail for a separate case, according to court records. On Dec. 12, Tarvid had been granted pre-trial release for a case in which he was charged Dec. 3 with sending harmful material to seduce a minor,"

"Some of the conditions of this release included warrantless search and seizure and not having access to an email, smartphone or social media platforms. On Monday evening, a sex worker informed Santa Rosa police that Tarvid had contacted a commercial sex worker through an online platform, a violation of the conditions of his pre-trial release, Sgt. Patricia Seffens said. Police investigated further and found evidence that Tarvid had solicited a sex worker."

Michael Tarvid, 63, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and pandering, with an enhancement for committing a felony while on bail for a separate case. He had been granted pre-trial release Dec. 12 on charges including sending harmful material to seduce a minor, communicating with a minor with intent to commit a felony, and arranging to meet a minor for sex. Release conditions included warrantless search and seizure and prohibition on email, smartphone, and social media access. A sex worker reported that Tarvid contacted a commercial sex worker via an online platform, prompting an investigation that found evidence of solicitation. Officers recovered a smartphone and suspected fentanyl during a residence search. Two women were at the residence; one is believed to have been promised shelter in exchange for sexual acts, and the other was arrested on suspicion of possessing narcotics paraphernalia. A judge denied Tarvid's request for release, citing violations of prior release terms.

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