PARADISE Calif. — A registered sex offender with a prior rape conviction in El Dorado County is now facing life in prison after being arraigned on new charges of forcible child molestation and assault in Butte County.
Joseph Linson, 43, of Paradise, appeared in Butte County Superior Court on Friday following his arrest earlier in the week. The Butte County District Attorney’s Office says Linson, a tattoo artist, was previously convicted of rape in El Dorado County in 2012. He served six years in state prison before being released on parole and relocating to Paradise, where he lived with his girlfriend and her children.
According to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, the Paradise Police Department began investigating Linson after receiving a report that he had been sexually assaulting a female child in the household for approximately one year.
Investigators also uncovered evidence that Linson engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior with another adult female and violently assaulted his girlfriend in the presence of her children. Additionally, detectives documented physical abuse toward a young boy, including a reported incident where Linson strangled the child until he lost consciousness.
“Given Mr. Linson’s prior conviction for rape and the severity of these new allegations, our office will be seeking the maximum sentence allowable under California law,”
Ramsey said in a statement.
“This individual poses an ongoing threat to the safety of children and families.”
Linson was arrested Wednesday and arraigned Friday. During the arraignment, the judge granted the prosecution’s request for a no-bail hold, citing the risk to public safety. He remains in custody at the Butte County jail.
