In a discomposed effort to safeguard children from sexual predators, the Sacramento Sheriff's Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit coordinated a multi-agency undercover chat operation, revealing the alarming intentions of two individuals. The operation, conducted in Yuba County, intercepted communications between a Sacramento ICAC detective and 58-year-old Kevin Gipson, who projected an unreserved interest in performing sexual acts with a 10-year-old child, according to a post on the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
During the sting operation, Gipson, who flaunted a history of sexual crimes against minors, introduced undercover personnel to his acquaintance, 81-year-old Kenneth Lorenz, who also expressed a wish to sexually assault the same child; the pair went so far as to arrange a meeting to carry out their criminal intentions. Gipson, previously convicted and briefly imprisoned, seemed unencumbered by his history of offenses against children; he explained to the undercover officer that his duty to register as a sex offender had recently expired. In a concerning twist, detectives arriving at Lorenz's residence discovered not only the expected sex toys but also a staggering collection of over a thousand files of child sexual abuse material.
Both Gipson and Lorenz had their statuses as sex offenders modified, due to changes within California's registration laws that came into effect in 2021; the alterations permitted certain offenders to be relieved from the lifelong annotation of their crimes, as is demonstrated by Lorenz's shifted requirements to a 10-year registration term and Gipson's release from the registry in 2023. It was on Thursday last week, when a Federal Grand Jury, addressing the severity of offenses, handed down indictments charging Gipson with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and Lorenz with possession of child sexual abuse material.
Both men are currently held at the Sacramento County Main Jail, and due to the seriousness of their charges, they cannot be granted bail. The indictments ensure that they will face a judicial process focused on their crimes. Detectives are also urging community members who believe their children may have interacted with Gipson or Lorenz to contact the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office or report anonymously through Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers.
