The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office has reported that there may be more victims of a Northern California man who has already been convicted of multiple sex crimes against children.
In February, a man named Scott Bartholomew Prange, 44, bought a “promise ring” for a 15-year-old girl in Rancho Cordova, as reported by SCSO. The jewelry store clerk noticed the interaction between Prange and the girl and found it to be suspicious. Afterward, the clerk contacted the authorities.
Upon reaching the location, SCSO discovered that Prange was a convicted sex offender who had failed to comply with his registration requirements. Additionally, there was an active warrant for his arrest due to his absconding from parole. He had a history of previous arrests for violating parole and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Authorities reported that during a search of Prange’s belongings, a distressing number of videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants and children were uncovered. Prange has been arrested and is currently being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail without the possibility of bail.
After conducting a thorough investigation, detectives uncovered disturbing evidence that Prange, who was on parole, had created more videos of him committing sexual abuse against a young girl in Placer County. According to SCSO, Prange was in communication with multiple children across various counties in California, including Sacramento County, Merced County, Placer County, and San Luis Obispo County.
Furthermore, authorities have reported the identification of an 11-year-old girl from outside of Georgia.
Prange has been charged with multiple serious offenses involving minors, including digital penetration, oral copulation, lewd acts, and child pornography. These charges are extremely concerning and highlight the need for justice to be served.
It is suspected that Prange had interactions with various families and had contact with multiple children in the Sacramento, Placer, and Butte County regions of California. According to SCSO, Prange has connections to Jefferson County in Kentucky, Snohomish County in Washington, and Ingham County in Michigan.
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in finding any potential victims who may have been contacted by Prange. If you have any relevant information, law enforcement advises you to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (916) 874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP(4357), 1-800-AA-CRIME.
You can also provide tip information anonymously through the website www.sacsheriff.com or by calling (916) 874-TIPS (8477).