Sacramento-area jewelry store clerk's tip leads to arrest of sex offender linked to multiple counties
RANCHO CORDOVA – A Sacramento-area jewelry store employee helped lead to the arrest of a suspect deputies said is a tier three sex offender earlier this year.
The suspect, 44-year-old Scott Prange, was shopping for a promise ring and bought one for a 15-year-old girl in Rancho Cordova in February, deputies said.
But the jewelry store clerk noticed how Prange and the teen were interacting and felt suspicious, deputies said. So the clerk contacted the sheriff's office.
When deputies arrived, they detained Prange in the parking lot.
Prange was out of compliance with his sexual offender registration and had an arrest warrant out for absconding from parole.
Deputies said he had multiple prior arrests, including for possessing child pornography.
When he was contacted, deputies said he had thousands of videos of child pornography, including some involving infants.
Prange was booked into jail and is ineligible for bail.
Deputies said he was in communication with children across the state, including in Sacramento, Placer, Merced and San Luis Obispo counties. They also determined there was a victim in Georgia.
The sheriff's office is asking for help locating more victims. Anyone with information is urged to contact them.