Man Admits to Molesting Children Even Though He Never Touched Them

A Trabuco Canyon man who engaged in explicit conversations with adolescent girls but never touched them pleaded guilty to felony child molestation charges.

The plea by David Allen Fay, 43, capped a novel prosecution that tested the barriers of the state’s sexual molestation laws.

Fay was the first person in Orange County prosecuted for child molestation without touching the victims. He encouraged the girls, ages 12 to 15, to touch themselves while speaking to them on the telephone.

Under terms of a plea agreement, Fay could be sentenced to up to a year in jail, Deputy Dist. Atty. Matt Murphy said. If Fay violates probation, he could be imprisoned for more than 20 years, Murphy said.

In addition, Fay must register with his local police agency as a sex offender. If he commits another felony, he could be prosecuted under the state’s three-strikes law and face a life sentence, Murphy said.