ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE
Case # 14WF2704
Date: March 20, 2017
MAN SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON FOR USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO CONTACT MINORS TO COMMIT LEWD ACTS
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced to 12 years in state prison today for contacting underage victims through social media with the intent of committing lewd acts. Michael Theodore Mordaunt, 47, Cypress, pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, 2017, to 19 felony counts of contacting a child with the intent to commit a specified crime,five felony counts of lewd acts upon a child age 14 or 15,two felony counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, three felony counts of meeting a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct, one felony count of possession and control of child pornography, and a sentencing enhancement allegation for substantial sexual conduct with a child. In addition to prison, Mordaunt was also sentenced to mandatory lifetime sex offender registration.
At the time of the crime, Mordaunt was working in the Information Technology Department of the Boeing Company in Seal Beach.
Between Feb. 25, 2009, and Jan. 15, 2014, Mordaunt created several Myspace and Facebook accounts using the image of a young teenage boy who is surfing. He contacted minor girls, primarily between the ages of 12 and 16 years old, with the intent to commit lewd acts on the victims. He contacted minor Jane Does using these social networking websites as well as through text messages and phone calls. Mordaunt had sexually explicit conversations and attempted to meet with the victims. The defendant requested and received sexually explicit pictures from several victims.
On multiple occasions, Mordaunt committed lewd acts on multiple Jane Does.
In 2013, Cypress Police Department and Garden Grove Police Department began separate investigations related to this case. The case turned into a joint investigation with the assistance from the Anaheim, La Palma, Los Alamitos, and Seal Beach Police Departments, the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Deputy District Attorney Bobby Taghavi of the Sexual Assault Unit prosecuted this case.
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TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney
Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718
Michelle Van Der Linden,Spokesperson
Office: 714-347-8405
Cell: 714-323-4486
really shocked news it is…12 years is not enough for this criminal…
In 1996 when Megan’s Law’s came in effect there were 8 laws that would put a person on the books as a sex offender and the basis of those 8 laws consisted in some form of kidnapping, rape, torture and murder of children. PEOPLE take note today there are 48 laws on the books that label a person as a sex offender. I know I’m taking an unpopular stance but Really..Sexting teenagers are you kidding me! Those teens could have de-friend, blocked or just not responded, if they didn’t want to. No different then years back when you received a crank call on your home phone and you just hung up. No harm done. Law enforcement, CA Representatives and that DA- Bobbi Taghavi should take a walk on a junior high and/or high school campus…they would be arresting half the teenage population of any and every school they visited. It is a waste of tax payer dollars that should be spent on true victims of violent crimes.
Albert – You need to walk on a Junior High or High School campus and hear what our teenagers today are talking about and doing. As disgusting as this may be to some parents these type of teenagers engaging in this behavior are not pillars of our community nor are they victims. This use of our tax payer dollars is a slap in the face to victims and family who have faced and endured true violent crimes.