A former Lompoc police volunteer was arrested early Sunday on suspicion of child molestation.
Notified of an alleged crime against at least one child, police detectives began investigating the report and established what they called probable cause to arrest the man, according to a Police Department news release late Sunday.
Anthony Michael “Tony” Durham, 67, was arrested on suspicion of continuous sexual abuse against a child, sexual acts with a child under age 10 and more.
Durham, a retired California Highway Patrol officer, was appointed to the Lompoc City Council in mid-2009 to fill a vacancy and served a short stint.
He also worked for a while for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, handling several crime-prevention programs.
Durham has been active as a police volunteer, including the CHP’s Every 15 Minutes program, which challenges teenagers to think about drinking, driving, personal safety and responsible decision-making.
In 2008, he was named Lompoc Valley Man of the Year by the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Durham was transported to County Jail in Goleta where he was booked. He remained in the jail Monday morning, with bail set at $450,000.
He reportedly is scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday.
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation, or who knows of potential additional victims, is asked to contact Detective David Lamar at 805.736.2341 x8120.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.