Tehachapi man convicted of sexually abusing a minor in 2016 | News

BAKERSFIELD – A Tehachapi man and well-known local DJ was sentenced on April 24^th on four counts of sexual abuse of a child. The conviction came after several months of hearings in a Bakersfield courtroom, with Kern County Assistant District Attorney Samantha Allen presiding over the case.

According to an Oct. 26, 2017, press release from the Tehachapi Police Department, 55-year-old Roy Michael Kirk, a Tehachapi resident, was arrested Oct. 18 on a warrant for multiple counts of child molestation. Kirk allegedly took advantage of several of his friendships by becoming involved with the parents of young girls. Between 2004 and 2012, he allegedly sexually abused four girls between the ages of 5 and 11. Three of those victims were sexually abused by Kirk on an ongoing basis, according to the police report. Detectives with the Tehachapi Police Department suspected there were additional victims in the Tehachapi area and sought information from the public, according to the press release. Kirk was also known to frequent the Bakersfield and Antelope Valley areas, according to the police report.

According to Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, it is common for child molesters to gain access to a child by using their power to silence and control them. “While I am glad that these victims will never have to suffer at the hands of Kirk again, it is important to remember that they face a lifelong healing process,” Zimmer said.

Following an aggravating trial on April 29, Kurt is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29 in Kern County Superior Court in Bakersfield and faces up to 100 years to life in prison.