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Mountain View man arrested for suspected inappropriate conduct with two teens

Investigators believe there may be additional victims

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect corrected information from the Mountain View Police Department regarding the suspect's role at Reach Potential.

Police arrested a Mountain View man on Monday, Dec. 6, for suspected inappropriate conduct with two minors and investigators believe there may be additional victims.

The suspect was booked into Santa Clara County jail on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and annoying or molesting a minor, according to a press release from the Mountain View Police Department.

A 17-year-old came forward to report that the suspect had "requested inappropriate content," according to the press release. A "community liaison" then notified police and officers met the liaison and teen at the Gateway Neighborhood Center in Sunnyvale.

While interviewing the victim, staff at the site told detectives about another incident involving the same man and a 13-year-old. Detectives interviewed the second child, who "disclosed conduct consistent with lewd acts with a child" that had occured at Gateway Neighborhood Center the prior weekend, police said.

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The police department's original press release described the suspect as an "active community organizer" who "works with youth on a regular basis" and police spokesperson Katie Nelson told this news organization that he was a contractor for Reach Potential Movement, a nonprofit operating out of Gateway Neighborhood Center that provides support for underserved youth and their families.

However, the police department later updated its press release to state that "he has volunteered at some community events but does not have any supervisory, leadership, or oversight duties involving youth or youth programs at Gateway Neighborhood Center that we are aware of."

Investigators believe there may be additional victims and encourage anyone with information to contact detective Christine Powell at christine.powell@mountainview.gov.

“Our children are our most vulnerable, and it is our responsibility as a community to do all we can to protect them,” Lt. Armando Espitia said in the release. “That trust and that safety cannot and should not be violated.”

Mountain View police are collaborating with the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety on the case.

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Editor’s Note: The Voice's policy is to withhold the names of those arrested for most crimes until the District Attorney has determined there is sufficient evidence to file charges in the case. See our guidelines here.

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Zoe Morgan
 
Zoe Morgan covers education, youth and families for the Mountain View Voice and Palo Alto Weekly / PaloAltoOnline.com, with a focus on using data to tell compelling stories. A Mountain View native, she has previous experience as an education reporter in both California and Oregon. Read more >>

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Mountain View man arrested for suspected inappropriate conduct with two teens

Investigators believe there may be additional victims

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect corrected information from the Mountain View Police Department regarding the suspect's role at Reach Potential.

Police arrested a Mountain View man on Monday, Dec. 6, for suspected inappropriate conduct with two minors and investigators believe there may be additional victims.

The suspect was booked into Santa Clara County jail on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and annoying or molesting a minor, according to a press release from the Mountain View Police Department.

A 17-year-old came forward to report that the suspect had "requested inappropriate content," according to the press release. A "community liaison" then notified police and officers met the liaison and teen at the Gateway Neighborhood Center in Sunnyvale.

While interviewing the victim, staff at the site told detectives about another incident involving the same man and a 13-year-old. Detectives interviewed the second child, who "disclosed conduct consistent with lewd acts with a child" that had occured at Gateway Neighborhood Center the prior weekend, police said.

The police department's original press release described the suspect as an "active community organizer" who "works with youth on a regular basis" and police spokesperson Katie Nelson told this news organization that he was a contractor for Reach Potential Movement, a nonprofit operating out of Gateway Neighborhood Center that provides support for underserved youth and their families.

However, the police department later updated its press release to state that "he has volunteered at some community events but does not have any supervisory, leadership, or oversight duties involving youth or youth programs at Gateway Neighborhood Center that we are aware of."

Investigators believe there may be additional victims and encourage anyone with information to contact detective Christine Powell at christine.powell@mountainview.gov.

“Our children are our most vulnerable, and it is our responsibility as a community to do all we can to protect them,” Lt. Armando Espitia said in the release. “That trust and that safety cannot and should not be violated.”

Mountain View police are collaborating with the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety on the case.

Editor’s Note: The Voice's policy is to withhold the names of those arrested for most crimes until the District Attorney has determined there is sufficient evidence to file charges in the case. See our guidelines here.

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