Petaluma man jailed on $5 million bail in child sex abuse case

A Petaluma man suspected of sexually abusing a young girl over the span of several years was being held at the Sonoma County Jail on $5 million bail Thursday as officers looked for any additional victims he may have had contacted.

Erick Francisco Pimentel-Alvarado, 32, was arrested Oct. 27 in Santa Rosa after an investigation launched by Petaluma detectives. The man was a friend of the victim’s parents, according to a Petaluma Police Department news release and department arrest logs.

Detectives suspect Pimentel-Alvarado abused the child for several years starting when the child was about 5 years old, the agency said.

The investigation led detectives to believe there could be additional victims and the department asks anyone with additional information about the case or other related incidents to contact Petaluma Police Department Detective Corie Joerger at 707-778-4456.

Pimentel-Alvarado is being held on 10 separate felony charges, each related to sexual abuse against a child, online jail information shows. He’s due in court on Nov. 12.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets.