Elsinore man officials say engaged in sex with 3 teens arrested

LAKE ELSINORE — Authorities say an investigation into a man possibly involved in receiving and distributing child pornography was arrested after their investigation revealed the alleged suspect had engaged in sexual relationships with at least three teenage girls over the last four years.

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Deputies assigned to the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station began their investigation last month after receiving a “We Tip” regarding child pornography, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. R. Ricken reported after the man’s arrest.

Due to the “sensitive nature” of the reported incidents, Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s investigators were called in to assist with the investigation, according to Ricken.

Authorities say a child pornography investigation led them to identifying Morgan Fowler as having engaged in inappropriate sexual relationships with at least three teenage girls, ages 14 to 17. RSO booking photo

During their subsequent “extensive investigation” into the anonymous report, officials began gathering details and information about Morgan Delos Fowler, a 29-year-old Lake Elsinore resident. The child pornography investigation eventually cultivated into an investigation “into lewd and lascivious acts involving three female juvenile victims,” said Ricken. 

The investigation revealed Fowler had engaged in inappropriate sexual relationships “with three female juveniles, ranging in age from 14-years-old to 17-years-old,” Ricken explained; saying, “These relationships were initiated over the past four years.”

Based on the information gathered during the ongoing investigation, on Thursday, Aug. 1, Fowler was contacted in the area of Clinton Keith and Arya roads, in the neighboring city of Wildomar. 

As the sheriff’s investigation continued, a search warrant was served at Fowler’s residence in the 19000 block of White Birch in Lake Elsinore, “which supported claims made by the juvenile victims,” according to Ricken.

Based on their investigation, authorities arrested Fowler. He was booked at Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of three counts of rape of a minor older than 14, sodomy by force causing injury, forced oral copulation of a minor, and two counts of forced sexual penetration of a minor – all felony charges. He was also booked on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm; however, Ricken did not specify the nature of those two felony charges or if they were directly related to this or another incident and investigation.

Online jail records indicate Fowler remains in custody on $1 million bail and was scheduled to be arraigned at Murrieta Southwest Justice Center, this morning, Aug. 6.

The sheriff’s investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this ongoing investigation or who believes they know someone who was possibly victimized by Fowler is encouraged to immediately contact Deputy McCracken or Investigator Jeff Stites from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station at (951) 245-3300. Callers can refer to incident file number L182970093 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he currently writes for or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, the (now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.