SALINAS, California - Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on April 15 that
40-year-old Travis Harris of Scotts Valley, convicted by a jury of 8 counts of Lewd Act on a
Child, age 14 or 15, in violation of Penal Code Section 288(c); 6 counts of Lewd Act on a Child under
14, in violation of Penal Code section 288(a); 1 count of Oral Copulation of a Child 10 or under, in
violation of Penal Code section 288.7(b); 1 count of Contacting a Minor for Purposes of Committing a
Sex Offense, in violation of Penal Code section 288.3(a); 2 counts of Sending Harmful Material to a
Minor, in violation of Penal Code section 288.2; 2 counts of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse, in violation of
Penal Code section 261.5(c), 1 count of Using a Minor for Sex Acts, in violation of Penal Code section
311.4(c); and 2 counts of Providing Cannabis to a Minor over 14, in violation of Health and Safety Code
section 11361(b). Judge Pamela Butler presided over the trial.
The defendant met Jane Doe 1 online, on the chat board “Reddit,” in September of 2022 and June of 2023 in Greenfield, Salinas and Royal Oaks. At the time, Harris
was 38 years old, and she was 15 years old. After talking online for approximately a week, they met in
person and engaged in sexual intercourse. The defendant was aware that she was only 15. They met in
person many times, at various locations, over the next few months, engaging in various sex acts. He
also sent her lingerie, sex toys and adult clothing through Amazon.com. He also sent her nude
photographs of himself and took photos and video of the two of them engaged in sexual intercourse.
The defendant asked Jane Doe 1 to recruit other young friends of hers to have sex with him and spoke to
her about his sexual fantasies.
He also told Jane Doe 1 about a 9-year-old girl who previously lived in his household and described
being naked with that child and seemed sexually excited by it. After seeing a news story about the
defendant’s arrest, that child, Jane Doe 2, now a young adult, came forward to police and disclosed that
the defendant had molested her when she was 9 years old between January and August of 2014 in Salinas.
The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 51 years, 4 months to life. He will be required to register
as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He will next be in court on June 4, 2025 for sentencing.
This case was investigated by Greenfield Police Officers Jesus Rangel, Armando Lerma and Joseph
Dyels; Homeland Security Investigator David Mendelsohn; and Monterey County District Attorney
Investigator Rachel Maldonado. The victims and their mothers were supported by Victim Advocate
Mayra Sandoval. Court Facility Support Dog Armani and Victim Advocate Kristen Peterson provided
Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 with invaluable support during their trial testimony
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