By Cris Alarcon, InEDC Writer. May 8, 2026
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA A convicted child molester who disappeared before his sentencing hearing in El Dorado County remains missing, with prosecutors now publicly criticizing the decision to allow him to remain free after a jury found him guilty of multiple felony sex crimes against a child.
Carl W. Cacconie, 51, was convicted July 17, 2025, in El Dorado County Superior Court in South Lake Tahoe on six counts of committing lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14. Prosecutors said the crimes occurred over several months in 2014 and 2015.
Despite the convictions, Judge Michael J. McLaughlin allowed Cacconie to remain out of custody on $1 million bail pending sentencing, according to court reporting by KCRA and other media outlets. Cacconie failed to appear for his scheduled Aug. 25, 2025 sentencing hearing and is now considered a fugitive.
The case has resurfaced in recent days following renewed media attention and growing criticism from the victim’s family and legal observers.
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson said prosecutors strongly opposed Cacconie’s release after conviction.
“This is someone who a jury has unanimously convicted him of a number of acts against a child,” Pierson told KCRA. “Under those circumstances, there’s simply no question he should have been remanded into custody.”
According to an El Dorado County Probation Department report cited by KCRA, Cacconie was wearing a GPS ankle monitor before his disappearance. The monitor reportedly stopped transmitting Aug. 17, 2025, after last pinging near an address in San Francisco’s Sunset District. Authorities later lost contact with him entirely.
The California Department of Justice subsequently listed San Francisco as Cacconie’s last known location.
The victim and her mother, Alana Ramirez, publicly questioned why the convicted offender was not immediately jailed following the guilty verdicts.
“I don’t understand why you would let him go after he was found guilty,” Ramirez told KCRA. “Nobody has explained how this was possible.”
Court officials declined public comment, citing California judicial ethics rules that generally prohibit judges from discussing pending matters.
Under California law, judges retain discretion in some cases to allow defendants to remain free pending sentencing, even after conviction. Factors may include prior court compliance, perceived flight risk, public safety concerns, and the severity of the crimes. Critics, however, argue that defendants convicted of violent or predatory crimes against children should be immediately remanded into custody.
According to prosecutors, Judge McLaughlin also found aggravating factors after the verdict, including that the victim was “particularly vulnerable” and that the crimes involved “planning and sophistication.” Cacconie reportedly faced a maximum sentence of 18 years in state prison.
Cacconie’s defense attorney, Chris Walsh, told reporters he believes his client may be dead after allegedly leaving behind a suicide note. However, prosecutors say no body has been recovered, and Pierson publicly stated he believes Cacconie is still alive and may be receiving assistance while evading capture.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about Cacconie’s whereabouts to contact law enforcement and avoid approaching him directly.
The case has generated significant public reaction across Northern California and online forums, with many questioning judicial discretion in post-conviction release decisions involving child sex crimes.
Additional information about the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office is available through the official county website. El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office
