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Lancaster church volunteer gets 8 years for lewd acts with teen

by The AV Times Staff • January 14, 2016

Richard Kelso, of the Kelso Investigative Group in Lancaster, was found guilty Tuesday of three counts of contact with a minor for sexual offense, two counts of lewd act upon a child, and one count of inducing a child to engage in a lewd act. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 13, 2016, and faces a possible maximum sentence of 12 years in state prison. [Booking photo via LASD]
Richard Kelso was found guilty Nov. 3, 2015, of three counts of contact with a minor for sexual offense, two counts of lewd act upon a child, and one count of inducing a child to engage in a lewd act. [Booking photo via LASD]
LANCASTER – A local business owner who volunteered to run youth groups at a Lancaster church was sentenced Thursday to eight years and four months in state prison for directing a teenage boy to perform sexual acts with a teenage girl and then joining in, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.

Richard Michael Kelso was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Kelso, 35, owns a private investigator business in Lancaster and volunteered to run youth groups at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, according to Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami.

In June and July of 2013, Kelso chose a 15-year-old boy from one of his confirmation groups, arranged for the boy to perform sexual acts with his stepdaughter, and then participated in the sex acts, according to testimony at the trial.

The jury heard a recorded conversation of Kelso admitting to the boy’s father that he had touched the boy’s penis. The conversation was recorded by the boy’s father when he confronted Kelso at his home, according to the prosecutor.

Kelso was convicted by jury on Nov. 3, 2015, of three counts of contact with a minor for sexual offense, two counts of lewd act upon a child and one count of inducing a child to engage in a lewd act.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

–

Previous related story: Lancaster business owner and church volunteer found guilty of multiple sex crimes

Filed Under: Crime/ Safety, Lancaster

11 comments for "Lancaster church volunteer gets 8 years for lewd acts with teen"

  1. RayRay says

    January 18, 2016 at 7:20 pm

    The prison? That’s a good one. That’s almost as good as blaming LA for sending 67 homeless people a day on Metrolink to Lancaster, and blaming the rising crime on the homeless. How’s that Rexaid tasting?

  2. Iggy says

    January 18, 2016 at 11:35 am

    What is wrong with the churches in Lancaster?

    • pipon says

      January 21, 2016 at 11:56 am

      That one and many more behind this one they are all ignorant fake people just saying

    • Love Thy Neighbor says

      January 21, 2016 at 12:50 pm

      Some of the big churches in Lancaster are more interested in politics than the Lord’s work. Doing surveys to provide information in hit mailers to degrade and slander candidates is one example. What was done to Johnathan Ervin by two pastors and a disingenuous mayor was beyond the pail.

      Stick to the Lord’s work.

  3. jusoyouknow says

    January 15, 2016 at 3:35 pm

    Should of got the max and sum, I’ve followed this cause from day one , from his arrest in 2013 by Topanga police, personally his bail amount was to low 100,000? , I guess it works out since he bailed out the same day, he wont get two years credit , This PoS, is guilty as sin itself , I’m amazed that he even took it to trial the evidence was so damaging from the recorded conversation admitting that he did it, his own voice admitting it! to the text messages that were sent by him , what they said was just disgusting, yet this pos, somehow thought he would take it to trial ? and that attorney of his even took the case ? what an idiot, this guy was a pathological liar, he would lie about everything .. and lied all the way to the end

    • TRUTH says

      January 16, 2016 at 7:48 pm

      No worries, the “sum” will hopefully come soon during his sentence. Sorry, when it comes vines to kids I will judge and not pray for these demons!!

  4. Don't touch me says

    January 15, 2016 at 2:36 pm

    What is wrong with these church workers? Even Pastor Paul’s brother Mark admitted to inappropriate interactions with youth while in Conneticut. Today he is leading a congregation in Phoenix. Very sad.

  5. ABC says

    January 15, 2016 at 5:18 am

    He will get his when he arrives on the yard up state, im sure as it has to do with Kids + his own Step -daughter … wheres the mother in all this ??? Rite ..

  6. Barbelle says

    January 14, 2016 at 8:56 pm

    He’d look so much better with a third eye,p.o.s.Had to take a shower after reading that.Yuck.

  7. TRUTH says

    January 14, 2016 at 7:02 pm

    He should of got the max when it comes to kids..enough said.

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