(KRON) — A 66-year-old man who moved from Windsor, Calif., to Idaho was recently arrested on suspicion of child molestation, investigators said Tuesday.
Richard Leslie Ward II, 66, is being held behind bars in lieu of $2 million bail due to the severity of the alleged crimes against children, a Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said.
“On July 31, 2024, Windsor Police Department deputies began to investigate a child molestation case that occurred during the 1990s. The victims in this case came forward because they were worried the suspect may have been or is still molesting other children,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
Windsor police teamed up with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and Ada County Sheriff’s Office to investigate Ward.
Detectives developed enough information and evidence to arrest Ward in Idaho on August 14. He is currently in custody in Ada County and is awaiting extradition to Sonoma County to face seven felony charges of child sex abuse.
Th sheriff’s office wrote, “There could be more victims in Sonoma County and Ada County, Idaho. We don’t typically release information about sex crimes because we have a responsibility to protect victims and their identities. However, we strongly believe there may be other victims who live or have lived in Sonoma County or Ada County. Therefore, we are releasing this information and Ward’s booking photo.”