Portola man sentenced to life in state prison for child molestation
Lee Edward Roe, age 55 of Portola, was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison on April 15 following his felony conviction of Section 288.7(b) of the Penal Code – Sexual Acts with a child under ten.
In the fall of 2021, the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Unit was contacted with a “cyber tip” by the National Center for Missing Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC Cyber Tip Line is an online reporting mechanism for cases of child sexual exploitation including child pornography, online enticement of children for sex acts, molestation of children outside the family, sex tourism of children, child crimes of prostitution, and unsolicited obscene material sent to a child.
The Cyber Tip led the Sheriff’s Office to secure a search warrant for a residence in Portola. During the service of the warrant and subsequent investigation, facts were determined indicating Roe had not only photographed the underage victim but engaged in sexual acts with the victim as well. (This release is intentionally vague to protect the identity of the victim.)
Plumas County District Attorney David Hollister noted how difficult and traumatizing cases like this are to investigate and prosecute and shared his appreciation for Detective John Fatheree, Sgt. Steve Peay’s Detectives Unit and numerous other Plumas and Sierra County officers involved (including Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher) for their prompt and thorough investigation in this case.
DA Hollister also added he especially wanted to share his gratitude for the incredible courage of the victim and her mother during this investigation and prosecution. Hollister noted cases such as these, “where our most vulnerable are preyed upon and harmed, are of the most serious imaginable.”
Hollister added that “this 15-year-to-life sentence, the most allowed by law, is completely appropriate for this horrible crime.”
