Two Men Arrested in Undercover Chat Operation Trying to Have Sex with a 10 Year Old Child

10/07/24

Two Men Arrested in Undercover Chat Operation Trying to Have Sex with a 10-Year-Old Child

In July, the Sacramento Sheriff's Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit assisted with a multi-agency undercover chat operation in Yuba County. During the operation, a Sacramento Sheriff's Office ICAC detective covertly communicated with 58-year-old Kevin Gipson. Gipson expressed interest in a meeting to engage in sexual acts with a 10-year-old child who was being trafficked for sex. Gipson purchased sex toys, including a vibrator and a bondage kit, and told the undercover officer he intended to use the items during the abuse of the child. Gipson told the undercover officer that he had previously engaged in sexual acts with a 9-year-old female child and an 11-year-old male child and had been convicted, served only three years in state prison, and indicated he was recently no longer required to register as a sex offender.

Gipson then introduced the undercover officer to his friend, 81-year-old Kenneth Lorenz. Lorenz told the undercover officer he wanted to orally copulate the 10-year-old child. Gipson told the undercover officer that he and Lorenz had previously met to engage in sex acts with each other while viewing child sexual abuse material (CSAM, also referred to as child pornography). Gipson told the undercover officer that he and Lorenz were both sexually interested in children and had previously discussed finding a child to sexually abuse.

The undercover officer arranged a meeting with Gipson and Lorenz so that they could engage in various sexual acts with the child including vaginally and anally penetrating the child, orally copulating the child's vagina, having the child orally copulate their penises, having the child simultaneously insert their fist into both of their rectums, and drinking the child's urine.
On the day of the meeting, Gipson met with the undercover Detective at his workplace and
provided a stuffed doll as a gift for the child. He was then immediately taken into custody by
the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office Special Enforcement Detail (SWAT). ICAC then
executed a search warrant at the residence of Lorenz, where the aforementioned sex toys
and bondage kit were discovered. Detectives also discovered flash memory drives and a
laptop computer containing over 1,000 files of CSAM. Lorenz admitted ownership of the
CSAM files and also admitted that he had previously engaged in sexual contact with multiple
children and had never been caught.

Both Gipson and Lorenz were previously convicted of sex offenses, which required them to
register as sex offenders for the rest of their lives. However, beginning in 2021, California
adopted a three-tier sex offender registration system that differentiated offenders based on
the severity of their crimes and began to allow non-lifetime registrations.
Lorenz had previous convictions in 1966 of PC 314.1 (indecent exposure), in 1984 for PC
243.4 (sexual battery), and again in 1997 for PC 314.1. Those offenses now only require a
10-year sex offender registration, and Lorenz, who was previously required to register as a
sex offender, was no longer required to remain as a PC 290 sex registrant.
Gipson had previously been convicted in 1991 of two felony counts of PC 288(a)
(lewd/lascivious acts with a child under 14). Even that offense now no longer requires a
lifetime sex offender registration - meaning a person who has sex with a child under 14
years of age may no longer be required to register as a lifetime sex offender. Gipson
successfully petitioned the court for relief from his lifetime sex offender registration, which
was granted in September of 2023.

On October 3, 2024, a Federal Grand Jury returned indictments against both Gipson and
Lorenz. Gipson is charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in
sexual activity, which is a violation of Section 2422(b) of Title 18 of the United States Code.
Lorenz is charged with possession of child sexual abuse material, which is a violation of
Section 2252(a)(4)(B) of Title 18 of the United States Code.

Gipson and Lorenz are in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail, where they remain
ineligible for bail. While details of this incident are horrific enough, the content in the chats
with Detectives was even more vile. Detectives are concerned there may be additional
unreported victims and are asking that any community members with children who may
have interacted with these individuals to contact the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office by
calling 916-874-5115 or contact the Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP
(4357), 1-800-AA-CRIME, or **TIPS. Use the "P3 TIPS" app or online at
www.sacvalleycrimestoppers.com.

Sergeant Amar Gandhi
Sheriff's Spokesman