In The Matter Of

My name is Joel Mancini.  In 2016 I was defamed, slandered and maliciously prosecuted by the Tulare County Sherriff's Department and DA. 

I never in any way had anything to do with the crimes I was accused of and was not at any time aware of anyone around me engaging in illegal sex acts or exploitation of anyone. Those who believe the accusations against me are unaware of the corruption of this case and the outcome of my trial, previous charges and conviction.

I would also remind the public; It was not the job of the Tulare County District Attorney or Sherriff to appoint labels and false narratives to the public and media before my day in court, in order to suit their own agenda.

I hope people will one day understand the basic human right to be Presumed Innocent Until Proven Guilty and how it affects their fundamental Right to a Fair Trial and maybe even more import, the long-term effects of having never been given those rights. Mostly, how Corruption and the Abuse of Power ruins lives. 

I should not have been charged in this case to begin with, but my previous convictions have been dismissed, and although it is a big deal for me and my family, it doesn't erase all the damage that's been caused.

Constant judgment, harassment and social out casting is a daily occurrence and the endless invasion of my privacy and that of my family has become a way of life. 

I will keep talking until the truth is known. I WILL TELL MY STORY; THE REAL STORY; THE TRUTH.

If you don't care, you should.  This could happen to you.

Thank you to those who have stood by me, you know who you are.

Take care, 

Joel 

In 2016 Joel Mancini was falsely accused, when Alicia Adrianna Espinoza and Lauren Courtney Eshelman -aka- Laurena Eshelman Montoya (AE, LE) teamed up in an effort of extortion and revenge.  Ultimately, he was set up into a sensationalized headline case and town Sheriffs Claim to Fame, otherwise known as Operation Baby Face whereas, on the basis of Libal Defamation and public manipulation all accused were presumed guilty. The small-town Tulare County Public Officials presented defamatory and misleading statements to the public as though they were facts, such as: Claims of over 50 victims - 50 Victims Found in Human Trafficking - 52 Victims Trafficked in Tulare County- Appointing labels to the accused such as: Assistant, Driver, Ringleader. In fact: There were not 50 plus victims of Human Trafficking in this case. People where not missing, found or forced, nor was there an "Assistant" named Joel Mancini. It is also noted that "The Driver" was convicted of One Count of Pimping an Adult and never met "The Ringleader" or "The Assistant. 

These are only a few examples of the Arbitrary Inference, that led to mass media attention. Basic principles of reporting were forgotten, prompting public outrage and social condemnation. There was no chance for a "fair trial." 

Joel's requests to provide proof of the lies he'd been told, extortion attempts and threats, carried out by his accuser AE, were not acknowledged. Several attempts to have Joel severed from the case were unsuccessful. With the $1.4 million grant at stake, along with reelection approaching, it would not have been possible to admit an error in arresting who was falsely labeled as the "Assistant" to the "Ringleader". No proof was ever presented to support such accusations. Ultimately, ‘forced’ to a plea bargain, Joel was charged with One Count of being an ‘Accessory After the Fact’. An Accessory After the Fact is: Someone who was not involved or had no knowledge of the crime before it was committed but becomes involved after the commission of the criminal act. Generally, a misdemeanor but because of the high publicity of the case and its requirement for felonies, charged as so. Mancini challenges this charge and stands firm of having any knowledge of any crime committed by anyone involved in Operation Baby Face. –no conviction that would require Prison Term or registering as a Sex Offender.

In the end, one man solely responsible for Operation Baby Face was sentenced to 40 years in prison for various sex crimes and was required to registerer as a Sex Offender for life.

Alvarez lured his victims through a fraudulent Facebook account Dreamgirls, where he portrayed to be a female escort living a lavish lifestyle. "Rebecca" enticed his prospective victims into sending photos (some nude) and would potentially meet under the assumption that they would be introduced into what was portrayed to be, a glamorous lifestyle of a high paid escort. After meeting, Alvarez would engage in sex acts with the minors and adults. He would also threaten to use their photos as blackmail. 

This Facebook account was a front ran by one person, Antonio Alvarez. The Sun Gazette is one example of a reporter lacking ethics in a 2020 article stating that Alvarez sent naked photos to Mancini. This is false reporting. At no point was Mancini charged with Child Pornography or any affiliation or link to the fraudulent social media account Dreamgirls.

Sex Offender Search

https://www.nsopw.gov/en/Search/Verification#searchDiv

https://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/Default.aspx

Four years later, on Oct. 30, 2020, Mancini's accuser, AE stabbed to death John Albers from Tulare Ca. and fled to Mexico. Subsequently, the threat of stabbing to kill had been made against Joel by this same woman after Mancini would not comply to her attempts of extortion and blackmail. This leaves to question. Could the life of a man have been spared, were the right things done in 2016, when Joel tried telling his truth?

Alicia Adriana Espinoza (AE)

Tulare homicide suspect behind bars after police receive tip she was hiding out in Mexico | YourCentralValley.com 

Finally, after seven long years, some justice for Joel Mancini was awarded on Feb. 06, 2023.

Joel's Not Guilty Plea was accepted, charges were dropped, and this case was Dismissed.

Alicia Espinoza was arrested in Cabo San Lucas then extradited back to Tulare County and charged with murder. Espinoza has been awaiting trial since 2020.

Lauren Eshelman was issued a five-year Restraining Order from 2015-2020. Prior harassment resumed soon after the order expired and continues.

Joel's battle is not over, but it is the first step of putting Operation Baby Face behind him and motivation to reclaim some of what was unjustly taken from him in 2016. Joel is "focused on healing" and wants people to "know the real story." 

Joel and his family humbly extend their deepest gratitude to everyone who has shown support, quietly or out loud during these difficult years.

This summary is brief and only begins to outline a much bigger picture. 

Following Mancini's dismissal on Feb. 06, 2023, several attempts were made to have Mancini's mugshot removed from social media/Web searches, under article AB 1475 and Ca Penal Code 12034.  These attempts were ignored and denied by TCDA/Sherriff.

Subsequently, post Mancini's dismissal (at the objection of "The People") a slew of social media accounts and videos began surfacing.  These profiles and videos were all aimed in an attempt to cause harm to Mancini and his family.  The harassment was reported to The Visalia Police Department. Mancini was told there is nothing they can do...

On the morning of 8/23/23 Mancini's 2016 mugshot was posted on Google by TCDA announcing Mancini was wanted for murder in a 2020 gang related triple homicide. The Defamation posted by TCDA put Mancini and his family in immediate danger, causing extreme emotional distress. 

The series of events were taken as a warning by Mancini and his family.

After Mancini's Lawyer filed claims, the Tulare County Sheriff/DA removed Mancini's Mugshot from their external website and omitted Mancini's name from their original press release of Operation Baby Face. 

In an attempt to regain some privacy post Mancini's dismissal, many requests have been made to online newspapers to update, deindex Mancini from, correct false accounts of, or remove their outdated articles. However, they are under no legal obligation to do so.

Most of these requests have been ignored, because the story was "newsworthy." 

https://tularecounty.ca.gov/sheriff/media/news-releases/update-human-trafficking-co-conspirator-in-custody/

Mancini is moving forward with lawsuits against the Tulare County Sherif's Department.