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Berkeley Police Arrest Convicted Sex Offender For Allegedly Accosting Teens, Claiming To Be Police Officer

BERKELEY (CBS SF) – Police in Berkeley have arrested a convicted sex offender who is accused of accosting teenage girls in multiple incidents while claiming to be a police officer.

The suspect is connected with an incident Monday morning where a girl was followed walking to school near McGee Avenue and Channing Way. Police said the man approached her and began speaking with her, saying he needed help finding his daughter and wanting to walk with her to Berkeley High School.

After the girl refused, police said the man insisted saying she shouldn't be concerned because he was a cop. The girl kept walking and the man followed her and cornered her in a less visible portion of the sidewalk where there were many plants and trees.

He then told the girl he wanted her to give him a hug and threatened about having a knife.

Police said the same suspect was linked to a similar incident on Gilman Street in North Berkeley on the evening of September 29, where a high school student was also victimized.

In both cases, the victims were able to safely get away from the suspect.

During a review of surveillance video, police said the suspect followed the teens in a red Ford Mustang for several blocks.

Berkeley suspect
(Berkeley Police Department)

Following the Monday incident, a third teen came forward to police, saying she was a victim of a similar attack on the morning of August 25. Surveillance video from that incident showed the license plate of the suspect's vehicle.

"Thanks to the detailed observations of these three teens, detectives were able to identify the suspect," police said in a statement.

With the help of multiple agencies, the suspect was arrested in San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon. A search of the man's home in Oakland yielded clothing worn during the incidents, police said.

The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Christopher Lee Dalton, was arrested on suspicion of communicating with a minor with the intent to commit a sex act, annoying / molesting a child with a prior offense along with a parole violation.

Christopher Lee Dalton - Berkeley Suspect
Christopher Lee Dalton. (California Megan's Law Website / Office of Attorney General)

According to the Megan's Law website, Dalton was previously convicted in 2013 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, attempted lewd or lascivious acts with a 14 or 15-year-old and contacting a minor with intent to commit a sex offense. Dalton was paroled in 2015.

It was not immediately known when Dalton would appear in court on the charges.

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