WALNUT CREEK — A Bay Area man has been arrested and charged with molesting three girls in a case with allegations dating back to 2001, court records show.
Raywood Mitchell, 53, of Walnut Creek, was charged on Jan. 24 with seven counts of committing a lewd act on a child and one count of sexual penetration of a child. The allegations mostly center on alleged molestation in 2018, but one of the girls reported Mitchell inappropriately touched her 23 years ago, according to the criminal complaint.
One of the girls reportedly told police that Mitchell molested her while one of his family member’s was babysitting her. Another reported that Mitchell threatened to kill her whole family if she revealed what had happened, according to authorities.
This newspaper is not revealing how Mitchell knew the three girls, nor where in Contra Costa County the alleged molestation took place, in order to protect their identities.
Mitchell was arrested on Jan. 24, and is being held in jail on $12.5 million bail, court records show. His arraignment has been set for Feb. 8.
