Pauling faces nine counts in new case - News - Appeal-Democrat
Anti-pornography activist Donny Pauling Jr. faces new criminal charges alleging statutory rape of a second victim.
Pauling was arrested Dec. 1 after a 16-year-old girl told Sutter County sheriff's deputies that Pauling, 41, had ongoing sexual contact with her for the past three years. He is scheduled to appear in Sutter County Superior Court today in a preliminary hearing in that case.
The second alleged victim was identified when evidence was presented to Yuba City police in mid-December. The evidence suggested Sutter County sheriff's Capt. Lewis F. McElfresh Jr. watched Pauling have sex with a minor related to McElfresh.
Deputy District Attorney Anu Chopra filed a nine-count criminal complaint naming Pauling in that case on Wednesday. The charges alleged four incidents of unlawful sex with a minor.
The suggestion there are additional victims has been made in court by Chopra and District Attorney Amanda Hopper.
Investigators are in the process of interviewing eight minor girls as potential victims of Pauling, according to a declaration filed by Sutter County sheriff's Lt. James Casner. Some of those girls live in Glenn and Butte counties.
Chopra said she will ask for a bail enhancement for Pauling, which, if granted, would increase his bail from $500,000 to $1 million. He is housed in Colusa County Jail.
McElfresh was charged with multiple felony sex crimes relating to the alleged incident involving his relative.
He is currently housed in Yolo County Jail with bail set at $5 million.