Gardens man facing charges
He was extradited to California for alleged lewd acts.
A Palm Beach Gardens man has been charged in California with sexual misconduct involving a 13-yearold girl, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office.
Dwight Castaldi, 42, was extradited to Orange County, Calif., on April 16 and is charged with four counts of committing a lewd act on a minor under age 14 and one count of luring a child with intent to commit a crime. He is expected to be arraigned May 4.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Castaldi is one of four men facing felony charges in connection with the victim. Castaldi and the other men, who apparently do not know each other, met the girl online using fake names on several social media platforms.
Castaldi was arrested by Palm Beach Gardens police on March 22 and was extradited to Orange County, Calif., where he is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Police in Huntington Beach, Calif., believe that there may be more victims in the case. PBSO detectives “are concerned” that there may also be local victims, according to a statement from the Sheriff ’s Office.
Jail records show that Castaldi lives in the 8900 block of Dania Drive, off Northlake Boulevard west of Interstate 95. A search warrant was carried out at Castaldi’s residence on March 22. Computers, phones and electronic equipment were confiscated.
According to news reports in California, Huntington Beach police began to investigate the case in September 2016.
Three California men — Bradley Thomas Williams, 34, Sohrab Anaraki, 33, and Christian Reid Palmer, 27 — have been arrested.
According to the Times, Williams, Anaraki and Palmer sexually assaulted the girl. Castaldi engaged in online sexual conduct with the victim, the paper said. The alleged assaults and contact took place in 2015 and 2016.