Felony charges are expected to be filed Tuesday against a 45-year-old man suspected of sexually abusing three girls, at least one of whom was in the Riverside County foster care system, while his wife allegedly covered for him.
Christopher Gary Tilden of Lake Mathews was arrested last week on suspicion of lewd acts on a child, continuous sexual abuse of a minor, child endangerment and witness intimidation. His spouse, 43-year-old Katrina Frances Tilden, was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, witness intimidation and being an accessory to a felony.
She posted a $35,000 bond and was released from the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside Thursday. Christopher Tilden is being held in lieu of $2 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
The case was under review Monday by the District Attorney’s Office.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick Montalvo said that agents from the Children’s Services Division of the county Department of Public Social Services notified deputies in September that they had received information regarding alleged abuse of three girls at the suspects’ residence.
It was not disclosed whether only one, or all three, of the alleged victims were in the foster care system.
“The juveniles stated that while attending a sleepover at a friend’s residence, they had been photographed and sexually assaulted,” Montalvo said.
The residence, located in the area of Orangemont and Orchard View lanes, belonged to the suspects, Montalvo said.
Detectives followed up, coordinating with the District Attorney’s Office’s Child Exploitation Team to ultimately gather sufficient evidence to obtain search warrants that were served at the couple’s home on Thursday evening, according to Montalvo.
They also served a warrant at Tilden’s workplace near the intersection of King Avenue and Van Buren Boulevard in Riverside, where he was taken into custody without incident. Katrina Tilden was arrested in the same area.
The specific acts allegedly perpetrated by Tilden were not disclosed, nor were the children’s identities.
Neither he or his wife has documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.