Child Molest Charges Against Fire Captain Delayed

A Salinas fire captain when he lived in Watsonville four years ago will be in court Monday but will not be charged, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office reported Friday.

Andrew Scott McLaughlin, a 43-year-old Campbell resident, was arrested at his Twyla Lane home Wednesday morning. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child, then released after posting $100,000 bail.

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Isaac said Friday that McLaughlin will make his first court appearance Monday morning, however, the veteran firefighter has yet to be charged with a crime.

"I'm not going to do that before I've done some additional research," said Isaac, who declined to say what crimes he expects to charge McLaughlin with.

The prosecutor said the delay is not an indication the case will be dropped.

"He'll be told to come back [to court] in a couple of weeks," Isaac said.

Watsonville police arrested McLaughlin after a week-long investigation. The case began April 27 when the girl's family reported the alleged sexual abuse to the Watsonville Police Department, according to Sgt. Saul Gonzalez. The girl was known to McLaughlin and the alleged molestation is believed to be a one-time occurrence, Gonzalez said.

McLaughlin has been a firefighter in Salinas for more than a decade, Salinas Fire Chief Jesse Pinon said. He is on paid administrative leave—a city policy–while an internal investigations is conducted.

Lewd acts with a child, the charge McLaughlin was arrested and booked for, is a felony that carries a three-, six- or eight-year state prison sentence.