March 18, 2023 - Merced – Merced Police Department officials report that on March 17, 2023, at approximately 9:00 A.M., Merced Police officers investigated a report of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. The suspect was arrested and booked into the Merced County Jail.

On March 17, 2023, Merced police officers received a report that Jess Burris (38) was having an unlawful sexual relationship with a 16-year-old minor. As officers and detectives followed up on the investigation, they learned that Burris had intercourse with the minor several times over the past year.

Detectives were able to locate Burris and after he was interviewed, he was arrested for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and for oral copulation with a person under 18. Burris was booked into the Merced County Jail.

Merced PD Case Number: 23-13842

This investigation is still ongoing, and Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this crime to contact Detective Alicia Gorman at 209-388-7715 or by email at GormanA@CityofMerced.org.  

Other ways to contact us or report crime include:

For any emergency call or text 911

For non-emergency call 209-385-6912

Anonymous Tip Line (Non-emergency) call 209-385-4725

Anonymous Tips online at http://www.MercedAreaCrimeStoppers.org/index.html.

Some crimes can be reported online through the Merced PD website https://www.CityofMerced.org/departments/police.

Source: Merced Police Department