Police Talk to Re-Emerged Robert Sanchez, Send Case to DA

Police have concluded their investigation — now it’s up to the district attorney to charge or clear the movie blogger

Whether movie blogger and producer Robert Sanchez is charged with sexual assault or cleared of the allegations altogether is now in the hands of the San Bernardino County district attorney.

Sanchez resurfaced in Los Angeles Nov. 19 at a junket screening of "TRON: Legacy" after spending months away from California, presumably in Mexico and elsewhere. During that time, San Bernardino Sheriff's Department officers told TheWrap that they were seeking a face-to-face meeting to question him about a family member's allegations of sexual abuse.

(For background, read: Police seek IESB Founder Robert Sanchez in Child Sex Scandal).

Det. Matt Griffiths told TheWrap that he was aware that Sanchez has returned to the area, has spoken with him over the phone and has turned the case over to prosecutors.

"I don't think I'm going to get anything else out of him in person," Griffiths said.

An email sent earlier this week to Sanchez seeking comment was not returned, and Sanchez has been reluctant to provide TheWrap with the name of his lawyer.

Sanchez has not been charged with any crime. However, Griffiths said he's turned the entire case file over to the district attorney, which now has the discretion to bring charges against Sanchez or let the matter go, effectively clearing him for good.

A spokeswoman for the DA told TheWrap that it could be a matter of days or weeks before a deputy district attorney has the chance to review the case and decide how to proceed.

Sanchez is the founder of IESB.net (short for "Inland Empire Strikes Back"), one of the original genre-movie blogs that came before countless others. The site is still operational after a new group of writers and editors came and went this summer; it appears that Sanchez is contributing and running the site again, though he's yet to take a byline. 

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