Veteran U.S. Forest Service firefighter charged with lewd acts, child porn possession

A veteran firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service is facing criminal charges after police allege he inappropriately grabbed a 12-year-old girl and had a “significant amount” of child pornography.

Jacob Daniel Carothers, 38, of San Jacinto, has been charged with a felony count of possession of child pornography and two counts of committing lewd acts with a child under the age of 14, according to an Orange County District Attorney’s Office statement.

Carothers has worked as a federal firefighter for 16 years, according to the DA’s office, and was most recently assigned to the Cleveland National Forest.

Prosecutors allege that on May 29, a woman called Newport Beach police to report that a man riding a bike in the Balboa Peninsula had twice grabbed her 12-year-old daughter while the girl was walking with two friends wearing swimwear.

Officers spotted the man, later identified as Carothers, on his bike in a nearby alley, prosecutors said.

In the course of their investigation, prosecutors say the officers found “a significant amount of pornographic photos and videos depicting children” in Carothers possession.

Carothers was taken into custody on an arrest warrant on Wednesday, and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

“We rely on firefighters to come to our aid when our homes are on fire and our lives are at risk. We hand firefighters choking babies and expect them to breathe life back into them,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a written statement. “We count on them to keep our homes from burning to the ground and prevent lifetimes of memories from being reduced to ash. Unfortunately, not everyone who takes the oath to become a firefighter is worthy of having the public’s trust.”

“Children enjoying a summer day at the beach with their friends should not have to worry about being assaulted by a predator, especially one who took an oath to safeguard lives,” Spitzer added.

Authorities are asking anyone with information on the investigation to contact Newport Beach Police detectives at 949-644-3776.