Community Corner
Firefighter Charged in Molest Case
Salinas fire captain faces up to 17 years in prison.
Charges were filed Friday against a Salinas fire captain suspected of when he lived in Watsonville four years ago, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office reported.
Andrew Scott McLaughlin, a 43-year-old Campbell resident, was arrested earlier this month after a week-long probe by Watsonville police.
He was charged with the attempted rape of a child under the age of 14 and with a forcible lewd act upon a child of 14, the District Attorney's office reported. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.
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McLaughlin, who is on leave from the Salinas Fire Department during the investigation, was arrested at his home in Campbell on May 4. and is due in court Wednesday to be arraigned on the charges.
The allegations surfaced in late April, police have said. The alleged molest happened about four years ago.
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