Sex offender arrested after buying teen a promise ring. Sacramento deputies seek more victims

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday it’s seeking the public’s help locating additional possible victims after a registered sex offender, arrested after buying a teenager a promise ring, may have contacted multiple children across several counties.

Scott Bartholome Prange, 44, was arrested in February after a store clerk spotted him with a 15-year-old girl in Rancho Cordova shopping for a promise ring, deputies said online.

Deputies called to the store detained Prange and learned he had been arrested previously on suspicion of violating his parole and having child pornography. Prange allegedly had thousands of child porn videos involving infants and prepubescent children when he was arrested, deputies said.

Investigators said they also found videos of Prange abusing a 7-year-old Placer County girl and that he had spoken with multiple children across California.

California’s Megan’s Law website says he was convicted of having child porn in 2014 and annoying or molesting a child in 2011.

Deputies are asking families to come forward if they believe their child has been a victim. Prange has ties to children in Sacramento, Placer and Butte counties, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He also has ties to children in Jefferson County in Kentucky, Snohomish County in Washington and Ingham County in Michigan, deputies said.

Prange is being held without bail at the Sacramento County Main Jail. He was arraigned in Sacramento Superior Court in March; online court records show the criminal complaint was amended last Friday. Prange is scheduled to next appear in court Sept. 11.

Deputies said he faces numerous charges including digitally penetration of a child 10 years old or under; oral copulation with a child 10 years or under; lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14; attempting lewd and lascivious acts with a child 14 or 15 years old; making child pornography; sending porn to a minor; communicating with a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense; arranging to a meeting with a minor for lewd or lascivious acts and having child pornography with a previous conviction.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 916-874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916- 443-4357.