Sacramento Valley Sexual Assault Task Force Arrests El Cerrito Man for Attempted Child Molestation

Suspect Scheduled for Arraignment Today; Police Seek Information On Potential Victims

Monday, September 13, 2004
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

(SACRAMENTO) – The Sacramento Valley Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force on Thursday, September 9, 2004, arrested Paul Alfred Jagoda, 57, of El Cerrito, on charges of attempted child molestation.

While conducting pro-active online child exploitation investigations on the Internet and working in an undercover capacity, a member of the Sacramento SAFE Task Force posed as a 38-year-old father of two daughters, aged 8 and 10. During a month-long investigation, the agent had numerous conversations with Jagoda, who expressed his desire to molest the undercover agent's fictitious children. The two agreed to meet at a Sacramento hotel where Jagoda would molest the children. When Jagoda entered the hotel room at noon on Thursday, as planned, he was arrested.

In an overnight bag he was carrying, Jagoda had a change of clothing, toiletry items, a bottle of wine, condoms, a can of whipped cream and a gift-wrapped package. Jagoda told investigators that the package contained two children's books for the two fictitious children.

Jagoda was charged with violating Penal Code Sections 664/288(a), attempted lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. He was booked into the Sacramento County Jail on an enhanced bail of $100,000. Arraignment is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today in Department 63 of the Sacramento Superior Court.

Jagoda's residence is across the street from the Fairmont Child Care Facility, which is on the grounds of the Fairmont Elementary School. He also volunteered at a local after-school program at Harding Elementary School in El Cerrito and has traveled to a Lutheran camp for children in the state of Washington.

Anyone with information about Jagoda or possible victims is urged to call the California Department of Justice (DOJ) at (888) 835-5224, or the El Cerrito Police Department at (510) 237-3233.

The Sacramento Valley SAFE Task Force is composed of agents, detectives and inspectors of the DOJ's California Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Sacramento Police Department.

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