03-16-2006, 06:11 PM
A former Woodland Hills shop owner was arrested in Oregon on suspicion of child molestation, and the LAPD is searching for other possible victims, authorities said Wednesday.
David Esser, 58, was arrested March 7 in Cottage Grove, Ore., where he owned and operated Gym for the Mind, a children's game store. He ran a store by the same name on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Woodland Hills from the early 1990s until 2001.
In March 2001, he moved the store to Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, and relocated to Oregon sometime after that, officials said.
Police have been searching for Esser since last fall, when a 21-year-old man accused the suspect of sexually molesting him for five years beginning when he was 11. The alleged victim suffered from Asperger's syndrome, a disease similar to autism.
"Esser's business was a magnet for children," said Lt. Paul Vernon of the Los Angeles Police Department. "It catered to children's games and popular trading cards, like Pokemon. It was a perfect lure for young boys."
Esser is awaiting extradition to California, where he will face three felony charges of suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts against children.
From dailynews.com
David Esser, 58, was arrested March 7 in Cottage Grove, Ore., where he owned and operated Gym for the Mind, a children's game store. He ran a store by the same name on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Woodland Hills from the early 1990s until 2001.
In March 2001, he moved the store to Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, and relocated to Oregon sometime after that, officials said.
Police have been searching for Esser since last fall, when a 21-year-old man accused the suspect of sexually molesting him for five years beginning when he was 11. The alleged victim suffered from Asperger's syndrome, a disease similar to autism.
"Esser's business was a magnet for children," said Lt. Paul Vernon of the Los Angeles Police Department. "It catered to children's games and popular trading cards, like Pokemon. It was a perfect lure for young boys."
Esser is awaiting extradition to California, where he will face three felony charges of suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts against children.
From dailynews.com