Two men have been indicted by a federal grand jury following their arrest in a Northern California undercover operation. They are accused of attempting to sexually abuse a 10-year-old child who was allegedly being trafficked for sex.
Authorities reported that Kevin Leslie Gipson, 58, from Oroville, and Kenneth Wayne Lorenz, 81, from Rio Linda, were among 14 individuals arrested this summer in a child sexual predator operation.
Authorities in Sacramento County are concerned there could be more unreported victims of child sexual abuse and are seeking assistance from the community in their investigation.
Gipson and Lorenz were arraigned in Sacramento Superior Court after facing local charges related to their arrests. A federal grand jury indictment was filed on Oct. 3 in Sacramento, replacing the county charges.
Gipson has been charged federally with attempting to coerce and entice a minor into sexual activity, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento on Thursday. Federal prosecutors allege that Gipson attempted to persuade, coerce, and entice a minor into oral copulation and to perform lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 years old.
Gipson was booked into Sacramento County jail on July 26 and has been in custody ever since. Lorenz was taken back into custody on Monday morning and processed at the downtown jail. Both individuals are currently in custody with no option for bail.
On Monday, the federal indictment involving Lorenz was made public. Lorenz is charged federally with possessing child pornography. Lorenz faces allegations of having child sexual abuse material related to a minor under the age of 12, as stated in the indictment, which notes that authorities seized a laptop and two digital drives during their investigation.
Authorities in Sacramento County revealed that a detective from the task force had been in secret online conversations with Gipson, who showed a desire to meet for sexual activities involving a 10-year-old child allegedly being trafficked for sex, according to a statement released on Monday by sheriff’s officials.
Sheriff’s officials reported that Gipson bought sex toys, including a bondage kit, and informed the undercover investigator of his plans to use the items to sexually abuse the child.
A Butte County man informed an undercover investigator that he had previously participated in sexual acts with a 9-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy, as reported by the Sheriff’s Office. Gipson, unaware he was talking to an undercover investigator, allegedly mentioned his conviction for child sex abuse, stating he served three years in a California prison and is no longer required to register as a sex offender.
Officials from the sheriff’s department reported that Gipson and Lorenz have both been convicted of sex offenses and are required to register as sex offenders for life. In 2021, California law was updated to categorize offenders according to the seriousness of their offenses, introducing the possibility of non-lifetime registrations.
In 1991, Gipson faced conviction on two felony charges related to lewd or lascivious acts involving a child under the age of 14, according to sheriff’s officials. Gipson’s request to end his lifetime sex offender registration was approved by the court in September 2023, as reported by the Sheriff’s Office.
Lorenz faced convictions for indecent exposure in 1966, sexual battery in 1984, and once more for indecent exposure in 1997. Sheriff’s officials announced that those offenses now necessitate only a 10-year sex offender registration, meaning Lorenz is no longer obligated to register as a sex offender.
In July, Gipson brought the undercover investigator to meet his friend, Lorenz, during the sting operation.
Sheriff’s officials reported that Lorenz expressed to the undercover investigator his desire to sexually abuse a 10-year-old child and mentioned that he and Lorenz had previously met to participate in sexual acts while viewing materials related to child sexual abuse.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Gipson informed the undercover investigator that he and Lorenz had earlier talked about the intention to locate a child for sexual exploitation.
Authorities reported that the undercover investigator set up a meeting with Gipson and Lorenz following the men’s explicit and disturbing descriptions of their intentions to harm the child.
Gipson had a meeting at his job with the undercover investigator. Sheriff’s officials reported that Gipson brought a stuffed doll as a gift for the child before being taken into custody.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Lorenz’s residence in Sacramento County, uncovering the sex toys that Gipson had bought for use on the child, as reported by the Sheriff’s Office. Authorities have allegedly discovered digital drives and a laptop with more than 1,000 files related to child sexual abuse material.
Authorities are seeking assistance from the public. If you have any information that could aid this investigation, please reach out to the Sheriff’s Office at 916-874-5115 or contact Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357.