East County

A 47-year-old man was booked into County Jail on Thursday on suspicion of felony child molestation and oral copulation with minors under 14 years of age, Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Cottingham said. Gordon Dale Pryor is being held on $80,000 bail.

The victims are four boys 10 to 12 years old.

Pryor, who lived in an apartment in the 500 block of West Madison Avenue in El Cajon, was arrested after an investigation linked him with sexual acts involving juveniles in El Cajon and Lakeside over a two-month period.

He is suspected of befriending the youths at an East County video arcade.

“He gave one boy quarters to play video games and after a couple of hours, offered him $5 just to talk to him,” said Detective Mike Radovich of the Sheriff’s Department child abuse and sex crimes unit.

“Then Pryor offered the boy the chance to make more money if he would go to Lindo Lake Park in Lakeside,” where Pryor allegedly molested him.

These incidents were said to have occurred between 9 and 10 p.m.

On other occasions, sheriff’s detectives reported that Pryor allegedly met the boys at predesignated locations, then took them to his apartment, where he molested them.

“The parents have all been contacted except for the parents of one boy who is in Juvenile Hall,” he said. “All the youths were from troubled homes, one was a runaway, and they lacked close supervision. They had been in trouble for burglary, etc.”

Radovich said the boys agreed to the acts because the money was good.

“One kid was able to buy two bicycles with the money he made,” Radovich said.

Pryor was arrested Thursday as he attempted to pick up a boy, Radovich said.