Detectives in Sacramento County have made an arrest in a child sex abuse case dating back decades—and investigators say they're concerned there could be more alleged victims.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office has been investigating the case since June 1997. A woman reported to deputies that her three-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted at a family gathering.

Deputies and detectives at the time identified the suspect as 18-year-old John Caleb Cowper. He denied having inappropriate behavior with the girl, detectives say, and the case went inactive.

Cowper was then arrested on unrelated charges back in January 2025 in El Dorado County. However, while in custody, the sheriff's office says Cowper came forward and made a statement about the 1997 accusations.

DETECTIVES MAKE ARREST

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