A convicted child sex offender is on the run after a California judge granted him $1 million bail following his conviction. This decision has drawn sharp criticism from prosecutors, particularly after the man failed to appear for sentencing.
Carl Kakoney was convicted on July 17 in a South Lake Tahoe court on six felony counts involving an 11-year-old girl.
Despite the verdict, Judge Michael McLaughlin allowed him to leave court before sentencing, which was set for August 25. However, he never showed up again.
Kakoney’s ankle monitor, provided by the El Dorado County Probation Department in 2023, ceased functioning on August 17 while he was in San Francisco, according to authorities.
Authorities reportedly lost contact with him until two days later, on August 19. During that time, Kakoney suggested that the monitor was simply charging.
Probation officers were unable to track the device and asked him to come to a Bay Area office for testing, but the monitor was not reconnected.
By the time Kakoney was supposed to be in court for sentencing on August 25, his family reported him missing.
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pearson publicly condemned the decision to release Kakoney, suggesting that the ankle monitor gave a misleading sense of security. “Expecting that a device easily removed would ensure a convicted felon appears in court is misguided,” Pearson stated. “This county is supposed to hold individuals accountable, but that doesn’t seem to be happening.”
Casey Smith, the Interim Chief Probation Officer for El Dorado County, acknowledged the limitations of electronic monitoring, saying, “We can’t monitor these devices around the clock. It’s a challenge to track individuals outside their designated areas.”
Smith also pointed out that the Department aims to ensure clients have functioning devices.
Authorities mentioned that Kakoney’s family claimed he left behind a suicide note, but investigators suspect he might still be alive and receiving assistance while hiding from law enforcement.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office is now labeling Kakoney as a “convicted violent sex offender” and is asking anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be submitted to Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357).
