When Santa Ana Police earlier this month arrested 66-year-old Pinkey Badgett on suspicion of possessing computer files and “boxes and boxes” of videos and photographs depicting child pornography, a department spokesman reached out to the public in hopes of locating possible molestation victims.
The search produced a hit.
]
Badgett, who goes by the first name of Harold, is now facing charges of molesting an 18-month-old acquaintance who turned up in some of the porn police say was in the Santa Ana man's house.
He previously pleaded not guilty to possessing child pornography, a felony.
Now he faces two more felony counts of lewd or
lascivious acts with a minor and another felony count of a sex act
with a child younger than 10.
Bail for Badgett, who remains in custody, has also been bumped up from $50,000 to $1 million
An anonymous tip about child porn distribution led police to Badgett's home in the 200 block of
East Adams Street.
Chatter on an online crime site indicated he frequently moves around Southern California, having recently resided in Riverside and San Diego counties.
An online commenter also noticed Badgett pages on social networks show him surrounded by youngsters.
Santa Ana Police say among the items recovered from Badgett's home was a 2006 search warrant involving child
pornography allegations against him served in Moreno
Valley. He was not arrested in that case.
The hunt for more victims continues. Call Santa Ana Police at 714.245.8400 if you have information.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.