Nearly three decades after a young girl reported being sexually assaulted at a Sacramento County gathering, sheriff’s detectives have arrested a suspect in the case after he allegedly confessed while in custody on unrelated charges earlier this year. Authorities now fear there may be additional, unreported victims.
The case dates back to June 1, 1997, when a woman contacted the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office after her 3-year-old daughter disclosed that she had been sexually assaulted at a family and friends gathering the night before. Deputies and detectives with the Sheriff’s Child Abuse Bureau responded and identified 18-year-old John Caleb Cowper as the suspect. At the time, Cowper denied any wrongdoing.
The girl was later interviewed by a Forensic Interview Specialist at the Sacramento County Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center, where she provided additional details. Despite the disclosure, the case was placed into inactive status while investigators awaited corroborating evidence.
The long-dormant case resurfaced on January 10, 2025, when Cowper—now an adult—was in custody at the El Dorado County Jail on unrelated charges. While there, officials say he told a jail employee he wanted to speak to a deputy about something that happened years earlier. An El Dorado County deputy responded, and Cowper reportedly made a recorded statement about the 1997 accusations.
Since the incident he described occurred in Sacramento County, El Dorado authorities notified the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, which reopened the case.
On July 31, 2025, Child Abuse Bureau detectives arrested Cowper for three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 by force or fear. His bail was set at $400,000, and he remains in custody at the Sacramento County Jail.
Investigators noted that Cowper has been arrested in Sacramento, El Dorado, Solano, and Yolo counties throughout his adult life, though it remains unclear how far he may have traveled. Based on information uncovered in the renewed investigation, detectives believe there may be additional victims of child sexual abuse involving Cowper who have not yet come forward.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information about Cowper that may be relevant to child sexual abuse investigations to contact the Child Abuse Bureau at (916) 874-5191 or by email at childabuse@sacsheriff.com.
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