4 Detectives Added to Force Hunting Serial Child Molester

Four more detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s elite robbery-homicide unit have been added to a special task force convened this month to catch a serial child molester in the San Fernando Valley.

LAPD Detective Craig Rhudy said the four detectives have joined a task force composed of 15 sex crime detectives from five Valley divisions, their supervisors and the department’s crime analysis detail. The robbery-homicide detectives are investigating tips originating outside the Valley.

So far the public and other law enforcement agencies have phoned LAPD detectives with more than 120 tips, each of which will be assigned to a task force detective for follow-up, Rhudy said. “A lot of solid leads have developed,” Rhudy said. “I would not say we are anywhere near solving the case, but we have some good information to work with.”

Rhudy said the entire case was submitted Monday to investigators assigned to the LAPD crime analysis detail, which will try to spot any holes in the investigation and may help in making future tactical decisions on how to catch the molester.

Police believe the child molester may be responsible for attacking as many as 26 victims throughout the San Fernando Valley since February. The attacks struck a chord of fear in the hearts of parents and school officials last week who criticized police for taking too long to spot a pattern in the attacks and notify parents.

LAPD detectives, however, have repeatedly stressed the difficulties of identifying a serial molester who struck over a wide geographic area over a long period of time, citing a shortage of personnel, unsophisticated computer equipment and a lack of uniform crime-reporting procedures.