A community leader in Lompoc faces 17 counts of child molestation and had his bail raised to $1 million Tuesday afternoon.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday filed 14 counts of sexual contact with a child 10 years of age or younger against Anthony Michael “Tony” Durham, 67, of Lompoc.
He also has been charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under age 14.
The District Attorney’s Office has alleged the incidents involved two victims.
The arrest has shocked the Lompoc community and brought bringing disbelief on social media.
Durham worked as a Lompoc Police Department volunteer, is a retired California Highway Patrol officer, served a short stint on the Lompoc City Council and worked in crime prevention for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
Active in the Every 15 Minutes program at Lompoc Valley high schools, he also was presented with the Man of the Year Award in 2008 and nominated for the Valley of the Flowers Peace Prize in 2012.
Durham’s bail initially was set at $450,000 but raised to $1 million during a Tuesday afternoon hearing in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Lompoc.
If the defendant is found guilty of these charges, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Stephen Foley.
The defendant, who is represented by defense attorney Chris Ames, did not enter a plea during his first court appearance.
Durham also was ordered to relinquish his firearms to the Lompoc Police Department during Tuesday’s hearing.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.