Escondido Resident Arrested After ‘Numerous' Alleged Felony Sex Crimes Against Children, Neighbors Stunned

An Escondido man is in custody on $5 million bail, accused of multiple counts of child molestation across a five-year span.

Richard Sears, 47, was arrested Saturday when Riverside County Sheriff's Deputies served a search warrant at his home.

The investigation began Aug. 6 after deputies received multiple reports of child molestation that allegedly occurred several years ago in an unincorporated area of Perris.

The incidents allegedly happened between 1999 and 2004, Riverside officials said.

Their investigation led them to Escondido, where the suspect lived.

News of Sears' arrest stunned his neighbors of eight years.

"That shatters my heart to know that that might have happened to some child," said neighbor Ed Coffey. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}  

According to Sears' online profile, he was the founder and president of an internet and web services company. He was also a pilot of 25-years and a U.S. Marine veteran - an honor he proudly displayed on his vehicles. Neighbors said he was an avid pilot for the past 25 years. 

"I'm surprised by it," neighbor John Montville told NBC7. "I think he had European students, exchange students come stay with him once in a while. I always thought that was a a good thing."

"I believe...he'd bring over [foster children] and house [them] for a week and take them places. I believe he was one when he was young and that is what I thought he did that for, to pay back and give back to those who need help," Coffey said.

Another neighbor said her mother always thought something was off with the way so many young boys would come and go from the home. 

"He always had a lot of boys at his house. That's what I noticed," said neighbor Isabella Jimenez. "There was barely ever any girls. But, the boys never seemed like they were traumatized or like there was anything going on. They were always so happy and always running in and out of his house."

Sears has been booked into the Southwest Detention Center on numerous counts of felony sex crimes against several children.

Sears' Defense Attorney Paul Pfingst would not comment specifically on this case, but said generally, cases where victims remember alleged abuse after many years can be problematic. 

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Investigator Tom Salisbury, at the Perris Police Department by calling (951) 210-1000.

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