October 17, 2023, News Release

Louisa – Yesterday, Louisa County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rusty McGuire announced that Rodolfo A. Melgar, 53, of El Salvador, was sentenced for charges related to secretly recording people, including a minor, using public restrooms in Louisa County.  In October 2022, a man using the restroom at a Louisa convenience store noticed a cellphone being held under the bathroom stall and realized he was being recorded.  He immediately reported the activity to law enforcement and Officer M. Nachtman with the Town of Louisa Police Department responded.  A review of the surveillance video at the convenience store led to Officer Nachtman identifying Melgar as the suspect.

Nachtman then apprehended the suspect and obtained a search warrant for his cellphone.  When analyzed, law enforcement discovered numerous photos and videos of multiple other victims using public restrooms, including at least one minor child – who police were able to identify based on security video from a second convenience store.  The child lived hours away from Louisa and his parents had briefly stopped at a Zion Crossroads gas station while travelling through Louisa, making the identification of the victim even more incredible.  After this discovery, Melgar was charged with production of child pornography and multiple counts of unlawful filming.

Speaking on this conviction McGuire said: “We are incredibly proud of Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Alex Goodman who worked closely with Officer Nachtman to ensure a successful prosecution of this predator.  Nachtman went above the call of duty in this case by watching hours of video to find the defendant and track down the victims in this case.  We are lucky to have these professionals working in Louisa County.”

Goodman stated: “We hope this case sends a strong message that Louisa goes the extra mile to protect children in Lousia County.  We would also like to thank the Town of Louisa Police Department, the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office, and The City of Fairfax Police Department for their assistance in assembling this case.”

Melgar pled guilty to all charges and on October 16, 2023, he was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Timothy K. Sanner to an active sentence of seven years and six months in prison.