A California parolee with a prior sex-offense conviction involving a minor has been arraigned on new child molestation and firearm charges, according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.
Christopher Carter, 58, was arrested by Chico Police detectives after an investigation that began when a child reportedly told a parent that Carter had touched the child inappropriately, Ramsey’s office said.
Carter is accused of sexually abusing a child while the child was in his care. The allegations have not been proven in court.
## Prosecutors Say Searches Turned Up a Firearm
According to the district attorney, investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Carter and search warrants for evidence connected to the case.
Authorities said Carter was in the process of moving from a Chico home to an Oroville address when the warrants were served. Investigators searched both homes and reported seizing evidence related to the child molestation investigation.
They also said they found a firearm Carter was not legally allowed to possess because he is a convicted felon.
## Prior Conviction and Parole Status
Ramsey’s office said Carter was convicted in 2014 of multiple sex offenses involving a minor. He served more than five and a half years in prison before being paroled in August 2018, according to the district attorney.
The new case now places Carter back before the courts on both child molestation allegations and a firearm possession charge.
## A Flashpoint in the Gun-Control Debate
The case is likely to draw attention because California has some of the country’s most extensive gun regulations, including restrictions intended to keep firearms away from convicted felons.
Gun-rights advocates often point to cases like this as evidence that prohibitions do not always stop prohibited people from obtaining weapons. Gun-control supporters, by contrast, typically argue that background checks, possession bans, and enforcement tools remain necessary even if no law prevents every violation.
What is clear from prosecutors’ account is narrower: Carter was allegedly found with a firearm despite being legally barred from possessing one. How he obtained it has not been established in the available reporting.
## Case Still Pending
Carter has been arraigned, but the charges remain allegations unless and until proven in court. Further court proceedings may clarify the evidence, the firearm allegation, and whether any additional people or failures contributed to the circumstances described by prosecutors.
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