KERN COUNTY, Calif. (KERO) — A Kern County jury found a man guilty Wednesday in a child molestation and pornography case.
Jonathan Oliver Scroggins was found guilty of oral copulation of a minor 10 years or younger, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor younger than 14, and possession of child pornography. He faces up to 23 years to life in prison with sentencing scheduled for Feb.16th, 2022.
The case stems from an incident from Dec. 7th, 2020, when Scroggins was baby sitting two girls in Tehachapi, according to court documents. He sexually molested a 4-year-old girl in her bedroom and her 8-year-old sister witnessed the incident, according to court documents.
The victim’s mother reported the incident to the Tehachapi Police Department and Scroggins admitted to the crimes, according to the Kern County District Attorney's Office. Police gathered further evidence and arrested Scroggins on Dec. 11th, 2020, at Cal Poly University where Scroggins was enrolled as a student. Police reported finding 25 videos and 1,485 images of child pornography on his laptop computer.
“The quick action taken by Tehachapi detectives upon the reporting of this sexual predator led to a successful prosecution. Ensuring that such conduct is reported, effectively investigated and prosecuted is essential to maintaining the safety of our community’s children,” said District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer.
