Watsonville Police on Tuesday arrested a registered sex offender after he allegedly followed and inappropriately touched a 17-year-old girl.
Kenneth Wilder, 31, has been charged with assault with intent to commit rape, stalking, annoying or molesting a minor and sexual battery.
As a registered sex offender, he was also charged with illegally being on school property.
He was not in custody Wednesday afternoon, jail records showed.
After the victim reported the incident, detectives identified Wilder as the suspect and found him on the 400 block of Rodriguez Street.
Detectives believe he was attempting to sexually assault the victim.
Wilder has a long history of similar offenses.
In 2015 he was convicted of using a minor to create pornography and annoying or molesting a minor.
He was convicted in 2016 of annoying or molesting a child and indecent exposure, as well as production and possession of child pornography.
Also in 2016, he faced charges for possessing a weapon in prison.
In 2018 he faced charges for false imprisonment, dissuading a witness, burglary, peeping in a bathroom and being a sex offender on a school campus.
In 2020, he was charged with attempted lewd acts with a child and annoying or molesting a child.
On April 25, 2024, he was arrested for threatening a witness, making obscene phone calls and attempted stalking,
Wilder faces an arraignment on Thursday morning.
Anyone who believes they have been a victim or have information related to this case is asked to contact Det. Collin Travers at 831.768.3321.
