The Huntington Beach Police Department has announced the arrest of a 54-year-old man connected to a series of child molestation cases from the 1990s and 2000s. As FOX LA reports, the suspect, George Philip Foord, also known as “Phil,” was taken into custody in Ridge Manor, Florida, after a victim came forward last October to report a crime dating back over two decades. This initial report led to the discovery of three more victims, prompting an investigation by the Huntington Beach authorities.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the victims were reported to be between the ages of 12 and 16. Detectives worked to not only identify Foord as the suspect but also issued an arrest warrant after submitting the case to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. It was crucial to quickly apprehend the suspect, even though the crime was decades old, to ensure he faced the charges brought against him.
Foord, who previously lived in Huntington Beach during the time of the offenses, is charged with seven counts of Lewd and Lascivious Acts with a Child Under 14, and bail has been set at $1 million, according to a statement obtained by KTLA. Currently awaiting extradition to Orange County, his arrest was the result of collaboration between the Huntington Beach Police Department and the Special Victims Unit at the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
Huntington Beach police are now reaching out to the public to find potentially more victims. They have released two photos of Foord: one from his 2001 California driver’s license and a recent booking photo. "We would also like to thank the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance, professionalism, and pursuit of justice," says the official Huntington Beach Police Department press release. The department urges anyone with information to get in touch with Detective M. Eskes at (714) 536-5967 or to reach out anonymously through OC Crime Stoppers at (855) TIP-OCCS (855-847-6227).
