BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — New details are emerging about a Bakersfield man accused of violent sex crimes against a minor, as court records reveal a decades-long criminal history.
Christopher Michael Nelson, 49, appeared in court this week on a felony charge of rape with the use of drugs. According to a criminal complaint filed in Kern County Superior Court, Nelson allegedly lured a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old to a Bakersfield hotel room. Investigators say he gave the 14-year-old methamphetamine before engaging in sexual acts with the minor over a period of several hours. Nelson is also accused of groping and assaulting the 15-year-old, who tried to flee the room.
Court documents state Nelson was on probation or parole at the time of the alleged assault and now faces additional penalty enhancements, including one for being a “serious danger to society.”
Records show Nelson has previously faced multiple felony rape charges. A 2018 rape case was dismissed due to a lack of complaining witnesses, according to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office. Another case, filed in 2001, was dismissed with intent to refile, though the specific deficiencies were not detailed in court records. Nelson also has open cases involving felony burglary, assault and DUI.
During Wednesday’s arraignment, prosecutors requested that bail be withheld, but the motion had not been formally filed. Judge Rober Thurman Owen set bail at $3.2 million. A protective order was also issued in the case.
Nelson is scheduled to return to court Dec. 12 for a pre-preliminary hearing.
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