April 16, 2023 - Nevada County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on April 13, 2023, at approximately 4:30 p.m., Nevada County Sheriff's Office Investigators arrested 43-year-old Michael McElreath of Penn Valley, for alleged Lewd or Lascivious Acts with a Person under 14-years-old, and Distributing Harmful Material to a Minor, following an investigation into the reported molestation of a juvenile at a licensed daycare facility in the 18000 block of Lake Forest Drive in Penn Valley.

On the evening of April 12, 2023, the Nevada Sheriff’s Office Regional Dispatch Center received a call reporting the possible sexual abuse of a minor that allegedly occurred at an in-home daycare facility. Nevada County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies responded and began an initial investigation. The following morning, detectives from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit took over the case and began an intensive investigation. McElreath was identified as the suspect and was alleged to have shown the four-year-old victim a pornographic video and touched the victim in a lewd or lascivious manner.

Nevada County Sheriff’s Office detectives, with assistance from Nevada County District Attorney’s Office investigators, served a search warrant at the in-home daycare facility in the 18000 block of Lake Forest Dr. in Penn Valley, CA. Upon his arrest, McElreath was booked into the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility with a bail of $500,000.

Because the incident involved a licensed in-home daycare facility, we are continuing to work in partnership with the California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division throughout this investigation. If anyone has any additional information, please contact the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit 530-265-1471.

Source: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office