A 68-year-old Mount Shasta man has been arrested in connection with child sex crimes that could number in the hundreds and date back over as many as four decades, the Mount Shasta Police Department said on Monday.
Colin Rick Nelson of Mount Shasta, a registered sex offender stemming from prior convictions, was arrested on May 30 after authorities executed a search warrant at a home where he was at in the city, police said.
They found Nelson had child pornography and arrested him without incident, according to a statement from the Mount Shasta police.
Along with Mount Shasta police officers, officials with the Sacramento Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force and local county Internet Crimes Against Children investigators carried out that search warrant.
Based on an interview after his arrest, police said they obtained information that they believe indicates Nelson may have had more than 300 victims dating back 30 to 40 years, according to the statement. The police statement did not reveal what information led them to suspect there could be that many victims going back decades.
According to California’s Megan’s Law Website sex offender registry, Nelson was convicted in 1995 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age and was released in 1999.
Anyone who thinks they may have been a victim is asked to contact the Mount Shasta Police Department’s dispatch center 530-926-7540 and reference case number 25-000154.
Michele Chandler covers public safety, dining and whatever else comes up for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Accepts story tips at 530-338-7753 and at mrchandler@gannett.com. Please support our entire newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Mount Shasta man, 68, arrested in connection with child sex crimes