Child sex abuse reported in Northern California leads investigators to Nevada and Minnesota
A report of the alleged sexual abuse of two children in Northern California led investigators to believe the alleged sex crimes also occurred a few years earlier in Minnesota before the abuse continued in Alpine County.
A 24-year-old man living in Nevada was identified as suspect in the sexual abuse investigation and arrested last week, the Alpine County Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release.
The investigation began when deputies received a report of suspected child abuse from Alpine County Child Protective Services. Sheriff’s officials said the report alleged sexual misconduct with two victims, ages 8 and 10, and identified the Nevada man as the suspect.
At the time the alleged sex abuse was reported, the suspect was living in Douglas County, Nevada.
Sheriff’s officials said investigators learned the sexual misconduct had been continuously occurring for about three years before CPS officials learned of the abuse.
The alleged sexual abuse first occurred in Beltrami County, Minnesota, before the abuse continued in the Hung A Lel Ti Native American Community in Alpine County, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s officials coordinated their investigation with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office. There, investigators gathered sufficient evidence to provide probable cause that the children were sexually abused in Minnesota, as well.
The investigators in Northern California coordinated with the FBI due to the severity of the alleged crimes in different states. Alpine County sheriff’s officials said investigators also believe the Nevada man possessed or distributed digital child pornography, referred to by law enforcement as child sexual abuse material.
On Jan. 28, Beltrami County sheriff’s officials obtained a nationwide arrest warrant for the Nevada man, who now faced criminal charges that included two felony counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a victim younger than 13.
On Jan. 30, investigators from Alpine County, the FBI, Douglas County and Washoe County in Nevada served a search warrant at the suspect’s home. Before serving the search warrant, Douglas County sheriff’s officials found the suspect at a gas station and arrested him.
Alpine County sheriff’s officials said they would continue to investigate the reported child sex abuse when the suspect was living in Northern California.
On Wednesday, jail records show the suspect remained in custody at the Douglas County Jail, where he is awaiting extradition to face criminal charges in Minnesota.
