Albany resident Raymond H. Anderson was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of molestations in 1991 and 1992 involving two children who were younger than 14.
Anderson, a life-long city resident, is well-known in the community for running neighborhood institutions such as the and Christmas tree lot. He is a current and is involved with several business and volunteerism organizations in Albany.
said police arrested Anderson, 60, on Wednesday at about 7 p.m. on suspicion of lewd acts with a child under 14, and continuous sexual abuse of a child.
McQuiston said the investigation began "as a child welfare investigation at Anderson's Albany residence on Sunday."
Police said reports surfaced in the past week about two different victims who were younger than 14 when the alleged incidents happened, from 1991 to 1992.
McQuiston said police believe there may be additional victims or witnesses who have not come forward, and asked anyone with relevant information to get in touch with the police department, at 510-525-7300.
According to the Alameda County Sheriff's Department inmate locator website, Anderson was still in custody Friday. As of Friday evening, he was being held at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $500,000, reduced from $850,000.
According to the sheriff's department, Anderson was scheduled to be arraigned Friday at 2 p.m. at the Wiley W. Manuel courthouse in Oakland.
A representative from the Alameda County district attorney's office has not been available for comment.
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If there's something in this article you think , or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email at albany@patch.com.
I guess I should just stick to cut and paste? "Penal Code section 803 (f) allows the prosecution to file a criminal complaint within one year of the date of a report to a California law enforcement agency by a person of any age alleging that he or she, while under the age of 18 years, was the victim of a crime described in Section 261, 286, 288, 288a, 288.5, or 289, or Section 289.5, as enacted by Chapter 293 of the Statutes of 1991 relating to penetration by an unknown object. This law applies only if all of the following occur: (A) The limitation period specified in Section 800, 801, or 801.1, whichever is later, has expired. (B) The crime involved substantial sexual conduct, as described in subdivision (b) of Section 1203.066, excluding masturbation that is not mutual. (C) There is independent evidence that corroborates the victim's allegation. If the victim was 21 years of age or older at the time of the report, the independent evidence shall clearly and convincingly corroborate the victim's allegation."
In our courts system the truth is not always found, just who has the more skillful attorney. If there is no basis to find Mr.Anderson guilty of the charges I would not envy him when he makes a re-entry to his community because this is one muddy spot that is hard to wash off. Compassion is needed.
All we can do is call for level heads and patience while the investigation continues. So please do not take the muted response from Ray's friends as anything other than an indication of the few facts that are known, and the very sensitive nature of the situation.
The fact that he is still sitting in the hellhole known as Santa Rita Jail tells me much more about his friends and supporters than your carefully chosen words.
"The horror and repulsion around molestation is mainly a societal construct" Are you serious??? "A lot of their trauma is the sense of shame we communicate to them for being part of the act." I'm pretty sure their trauma is from being a VICTIM OF MOLESTATION. You have one truly twisted view of things. Pedophiles and child molesters are the problem. Period.
Maybe we also have different definitions of molestation. I think of forceable activity on children as rape not molestation. I think of molestation as something where the minor is convinced or cajoled into doing something. I never said that I had no queasy and repugnant feelings myself. I do. I grew up in this society and absorbed the same mores as everyone else. This doesn't prevent me from stepping back and looking at how the situation might be improved.
The standard mode of behavior for predators of children is to weaken their resistance over time and seduce them into acts that they are forbidden to consent to by law. There is no circumstance I can think of that allows adults to engage in sexual activity with a child. The mental and physical damage is too great to allow it at any time in any form. Predators justify their activities in many ways, but at base it is not allowed. Children, by their nature, are at the mercy of adults because they trust them to nurture, not harm. A child may comply, but that in no way excuses the adult's behavior.
I know he has diabetes. I also know that the food in SRJ is not designed for healthy people, let alone the chronically ill. Odd as might sound, he is actually lucky to have made it into the infirmary. Many inmates suffer without any medical assistance.
His many friends have still not made any attempt to bail him out and considering the exact nature of the charges, it doesn't look too good for the future either.
His dear (and oddly quiet) friends at the Lions Club have still not supplied an attorney so he is at the mercy of the Public Defender's office as well as the slowpokes who test DNA for the County.