Former Sebastopol mayor Robert Jacob arrested on suspicion of sexual crimes against minor

Cannabis entrepreneur and former Sebastopol Mayor Robert Jacob was arrested Saturday morning on suspicion of lewd acts and forcible penetration of a child aged 14 or 15, as well as a range of other sexual crimes involving a minor or minors.

Sebastopol Police Chief Kevin Kilgore confirmed the arrest of the former mayor by phone Saturday afternoon and released a statement with initial information about the allegations.

Kilgore said that on March 30 police received information of potential sexual assaults that occurred in the city between December 2019 and March 2021.

“Right now, that investigation is ongoing for a determination as to the number of victims,” Kilgore said.

Jacob, 44, was arrested about 7 a.m. Saturday. Police said they contacted Jacob in the 7400 block of Woodland Avenue and took him into custody on an arrest warrant outlining several felony sexual assault crimes against a minor.

Jacob was transported to the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility and is being held without bail.

Police said anyone with information is asked to contact Sebastopol Police at 707-829-4400 and refer to Report No. 21-0220.

Jacob was listed as an inmate at the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of five felonies and one misdemeanor. The offenses include sex with a minor and transporting a minor for the purposes of having sex with them, distribution of child pornography and soliciting a minor for lewd purposes.

Current Sebastopol Mayor Una Glass said she was notified of the arrest by the city manager and Kilgore. But she said she was not informed of the specific allegations or offenses.

“He’s no longer on our City Council,” Glass said. “This is very, very disappointing, and I hope the victims of anything that he has done are taken care (of) … it’s extremely disappointing.”

Jacob, who founded the Sebastopol medical marijuana dispensary Peace in Medicine in 2007, was elected to the City Council in 2012. The following year he was selected mayor by the council members, making history as one of the first mayors in the nation with a background in the medical marijuana industry.

In March 2016, Jacob took a leave of absence to care for his ailing mother and stepped down from his role with Peace in Medicine, which merged with the Sparc marijuana dispensary in 2017.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.