Anthony Durham faces 45 years to life in state prison after pleading guilty to 17 counts of child molestation, according to a press release from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office.
Durham was arrested on Sept. 18, 2016, and he entered his pleas on Thursday, Jan. 5—not four months after his charges. Those charges included 14 counts of sexual contact with a child 10 years old or younger, and three counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child younger than 14.
Durham has been an active member of the Lompoc community, where in 2008 he was selected Lompoc Valley Man of the Year and in 2012 was nominated for the Valley of Flowers Peace Prize. Durham also served on the Lompoc City Council in 2009 and volunteered for the Lompoc Police Department.
A press release from the Lompoc Police Department announcing Durham’s arrest acknowledged his volunteer experience with the department.
“The Lompoc Police Department was made aware of a crime against children involving a former Lompoc police volunteer,” officials said in September. “Lompoc police detectives responded, and through the course of their preliminary investigation they established probable cause and arrested the suspect.”
Durham has been in custody at the Santa Barbara County Jail, and he is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 23. He is currently 67 years old, and if he receives a 45-years-to-life sentence as expected, he would be 112 before coming up for parole.
This article appears in Jan 12-19, 2017.