Arrest made in rape of girl, 14

A Marysville man who allegedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl near Wheatland before she escaped has been arrested, the Yuba County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday.

Brian Keith Sedgwick, 43, was arrested on suspicion of lewd acts on a child, oral copulation, rape by means of force or fear, and kidnapping.

He was booked into the Yuba County Jail with bail set at $100,000.

Undersheriff Steve Durfor said the arrest stems from a Dec. 3 incident in which the suspect was driving and stopped the victim as she walked home near Arboga Road and Kay Street in Linda.

Sedgwick, a family acquaintance, offered the girl a ride home and she accepted, according to Durfor.

Instead of taking the girl home, Sedgwick drove away from Linda, Durfor said. The girl pleaded to be taken home or to be let out of the vehicle, the undersheriff said.

Sedgwick took the girl to an isolated spot along the Bear River near Wheatland and sexually assaulted her, Durfor said.

After the assault, Sedgwick drove the victim back to the Linda area, Durfor said.

As he drove along Hammonton Smartville Road near Simpson Lane, Sedgwick slowed down, according to Durfor. "She took advantage of the opportunity to exit the vehicle," Durfor said.

The victim kept silent about the assault until April, the undersheriff said.

After reporting the crime to deputies, the Sheriff's Department began an investigation, interviewed Sedgwick and then arrested him on Wednesday, Durfor said.

Sedgwick is not a registered sex offender, according to Durfor.

Appeal-Democrat reporter Daniel Witter can be reached at 749-4712. You may e-mail him at dwitter@appeal-democrat.com.