Sex offender arrested for allegedly assaulting teenager in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) -- A registered sex offender has been arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a teenager in Watsonville, according to Watsonville Police.
31-year-old Kenneth Wilder was arrested following an incident on Tuesday morning after a 17-year-old girl reported a person followed her and touched her inappropriately before leaving. According to police, the incident happened Tuesday morning in the area of Maple avenue.
Watsonville Police detectives identified Wilder and found him near the 400-block of Rodriguez Street where they arrested him.
Wilder was on parole and is a registered sex offender. he was arrested on multiple charges including assault with intent to commit rape, stalking and violation of parole.
KION covered wilder’s multiple other arrests over the years. According to court documents, he was convicted for trying to molest three underage girls on their way to school in 2020.
Court documents also show he was convicted for a 2018 incident at Cabrillo College. Santa Cruz police said he was looking under the stalls in the women’s restroom and making threats.
In both cases he was already a registered sex offender and out on parole.
If you believe you may have been a victim or have any additional information related to this case, you're asked to contact Detective Collin Travers at 831-768-3321.
