Sheriff’s Sergeant Accused of Molestation

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s sergeant recently elected to the Palmdale City Council was charged Wednesday with 17 felony counts of child molestation, sexual abuse and other crimes involving four girls in incidents dating back to 1990, authorities said.

Sheriff’s officials said Wednesday that an arrest warrant had been issued for Kevin Wright Carney, 48, of Palmdale but that he had not turned himself in to deputies. Bail for Carney was set at $2 million.

“He is considered a fugitive,” said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office.

Carney’s attorney, Milton Grimes, did not return calls seeking comment. All of the alleged victims were Antelope Valley residents under age 14, Gibbons said.

If convicted on all charges, Carney faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, Gibbons said.

“It’s a very serious case,” Gibbons said. “We are taking it very seriously.”

The alleged crimes are believed to have taken place while Carney was off duty, Gibbons said.

The investigation and charges stem from the most recent alleged victim, a 14-year-old girl, who went to the Lancaster sheriff’s station Oct. 28 claiming that Carney had molested her. He was arrested the next day and placed on paid leave from the Sheriff’s Department.

Four days after his Oct. 29 arrest, the 23-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department was elected to the Palmdale City Council. He took office while the allegations were being investigated.

The charges filed Wednesday include:

* Ten counts of continuous sexual abuse, child molestation, oral copulation and statutory rape against the most recent victim. The alleged incidents began when the girl was 6 in April 1990 and continued until she was 14 last year, Gibbons said.

* One count of child molestation with a girl under 14 that allegedly took place between Sept. 1, 1994, and Sept. 15, 1994.

* Three counts of child molestation with a third alleged victim, age 8, that occurred from June 1, 1996 through March 7, 1997. Also three additional counts of child molestation with a fourth alleged victim, age 7, that took place during the same period.

Carney also was charged with possession of child pornography, a misdemeanor. Gibbons said the material was found in Carney’s briefcase, but did not know if they were pictures of the alleged four victims.

Carney is a former president of the Antelope Valley Union High School board and once supervised the sheriff’s child abuse detail for the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys.

In March 1997, Carney was accused of inappropriately touching two young neighborhood girls but an investigation by the district attorney’s office concluded with no charges being filed.