Scotts Valley Man, 43, Arrested For Alleged Sex Crimes Against Teen Boy

Police arrested a 43-year-old Scotts Valley man Wednesday on suspicion of having sexual relations with a 16-year-old.

The relationship between Kipp Herman and the juvenile boy began sometime last year, when they met on the mobile app Grindr, according to police.

On Aug. 13, the boy, a Felton resident, contacted police to report that he had been involved in a sexual relationship with an older man living in Scotts Valley, police said. Over the course of the investigation, the teen was reluctant to identify the suspect, so police were never able to confirm the man’s identity, according to police.

On July 6, police received a report that the same juvenile was again involved in a similar sexual relationship with an older man. Officers again began an investigation into the allegations and discovered the same suspect from the 2014 report had contacted the juvenile almost a year later, police said.

The teen, this time, assisted officers in identifying Herman as the suspect, according to police. After further investigation, police obtained a search warrant for Herman’s home. There, officers confiscated computer equipment, police said.

Police arrested Herman on suspicion of sodomy with a minor, oral copulation with a minor, sexual penetration with a minor, contacting a minor with the intent to commit sexual offense, arranging a meeting with a minor with the intent to commit sexual offense and going to an arranged meeting with a minor with the intent to commit sexual offense.

Officers booked Herman into the Santa Cruz County Jail, according to police.

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