SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced to 12 years in state prison today for contacting underage victims through social media with the intent of committing lewd acts. Michael Theodore Mordaunt, 47, Cypress, pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, 2017, to 19 felony counts of contacting a child with the intent to commit a specified crime,five felony counts of lewd acts upon a child age 14 or 15,two felony counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, three felony counts of meeting a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct, one felony count of possession and control of child pornography, and a sentencing enhancement allegation for substantial sexual conduct with a child. In addition to prison, Mordaunt was also sentenced to mandatory lifetime sex offender registration.

At the time of the crime, Mordaunt was working in the Information Technology Department of the Boeing Company in Seal Beach.

Between Feb. 25, 2009, and Jan. 15, 2014, Mordaunt created several Myspace and Facebook accounts using the image of a young teenage boy who is surfing. He contacted minor girls, primarily between the ages of 12 and 16 years old, with the intent to commit lewd acts on the victims. He contacted minor Jane Does using these social networking websites as well as through text messages and phone calls. Mordaunt had sexually explicit conversations and attempted to meet with the victims. The defendant requested and received sexually explicit pictures from several victims.

On multiple occasions, Mordaunt committed lewd acts on multiple Jane Does.

In 2013, Cypress Police Department and Garden Grove Police Department began separate investigations related to this case. The case turned into a joint investigation with the assistance from the Anaheim, La Palma, Los Alamitos, and Seal Beach Police Departments, the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.

Deputy District Attorney Bobby Taghavi of the Sexual Assault Unit prosecuted this case.

Orange County District Attorney / Case # 14WF2704 / March 20, 2017