How Could You? Hall of Shame-Daniel Horton UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Sacramento, California, former referee for Child Dependency Court, Daniel Horton, 47 “has been arrested on child molestation accusations after allegedly attempting to arrange to have teens pose naked for him” after a police sting operation.

“He was booked into the Sacramento County Jail and released on bail.

The Sacramento Police Department arrested Horton, 47, for annoying or molesting a child and for attempting to contact a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense.

Horton is a referee with the Sacramento Juvenile Dependency Court, hearing cases involving neglected and/or abused children under 18.

The investigation revealed that Horton may have propositioned several teens and likely has additional victims under age 18.

Police said Horton drives a light gold 2002 Mercedes C320 and frequents the Folsom Boulevard corridor between State University Drive and Zinfandel Drive. He has also been seen in the Madison Avenue and Sunrise Boulevard areas.

The Sacramento Police Department asks anyone with information on this case to call the dispatch center at (916) 264-5471 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP (4357) or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES).

Detectives urge anyone under age 18 who has been propositioned or approached by Horton to call police. “
Sacramento Juvenile Court Official Arrested On Child Molestation Accusations
[CBS Sacramento 2/15/12]

“According to police, Daniel Horton posed as a modeling agent for OUI, an adult nudity magazine.
The investigation started in November after a tanning salon employee went to police. According to a case summary, Horton told the employee he was a modeling agent and was interested in tanning packages for his models.

According to the case summary, Horton told the employee she could earn $600 for a nude modeling shoot and asked her to model a bathing suit at the salon as an audition. The woman then put on a bathing suit and revealed her breasts after Horton asked to see. Horton then pulled down the woman’s bottoms without her permission, according to the document.

At Horton’s home on Thursday, no one had any comments. A female, who appeared to be a teenager, answered the door and said, “We’re not making any statements. Thank you.”

Earlier this month, police used two female decoys to try to prove the allegations against Horton. The women were put in Horton’s path as he left his job at Sacramento juvenile dependency court, where he decided custody cases.

According to the case summary, on Feb. 2 around 12:15pm, one decoy stood in front of a restaurant. When Horton left the restaurant, he approached the girl and told her he was an agent for an adult nudity magazine.

During their conversation he told her, “It doesn’t sound like something you’d be into, you got to want to do that, girls are like exhibitionists, you know they like being out there,” according to the case summary.

A couple hours later on Feb. 2, a second decoy was placed at the corner of Folsom Boulevard and Bradshaw Road. Police said Horton drove up to the woman and started a similar conversation. This time, he suggested the woman audition in an alley and perform a sexual act. She declined and asked for Horton’s phone number.

Ginger Sylvester, a spokeswoman for Sacramento Superior Court, said the undercover operation happened when Horton was supposed to be on the clock, working for the court.

According to a statement from Sacramento Superior Court Judge Laurie Earl, Horton was placed on administrative leave on Feb. 9 after she was notified of the investigation. Horton resigned three days later.

In the written statement, Earl said, “I have directed court personnel to cooperate fully with law enforcement’s investigation and they are doing so.”

Earl said the court contacted the attorneys of any children who may have appeared in court before Horton.

Horton was released from jail on Wednesday evening on a $10,000 bail. He is charged with two counts of annoying or molesting an adult he believes to be a child and one count of unnatural or abnormal sexual interest in children.

Horton is scheduled to appear in court in March for arraignment. ”

Sacramento County court official Daniel Horton was arrested after undercover investigation
[News 10 2/16/12 by Kristen Drew]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “Daniel Horton, a former juvenile court dependency referee, pleaded no contest Wednesday for trying to convince underage girls to model nude, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Horton, 47, will have to register as a sex offender for life. As reported in the Bee’s story, he must also serve 90 days in jail, three years of probation and complete a sex offender management program.

The former juvenile worker was caught near Rosemont on February 2 during a Sacramento Police Department sting, in which he asked women he thought were 17 to pose nude for him. The women were actually decoys with audio recording devices and a police surveillence team.

Horton used to work as a juvenile court referee—a role similar to a judge—at the family law courthouse on Power Inn Road. He turned himself in on February 15 after a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest was issued and was arraigned March 8.

Officials from the Sacramento Police Department said the incident for which Horton was charged did not have anything to do with his former role as juvenile court referee.”

Former Juvenile Court Official Pleads No Contest
[Rosemont Patch 6/27/12]