Sex offender arrested as he operated ice cream truck near school

A 62-year-old ice cream truck driver was arrested Wednesday near Olympus Junior High School on suspicion of violating a law related to his status as a registered sex offender. He was also arrested for a misdemeanor charge of violating registered sex offender requirements. Dee Dee Gunther of the Roseville Police Department said that John Carl Alderson had been operating an ice cream truck near the school for three weeks. An anonymous tip led police to contact Alderson, a registered sex offender. "The law prohibits sex offenders from working a job that allows them to have contact with children under the age of 16," Gunther said. Gunther said Alderson never applied for a vendor's license. "Had he applied for a license, the background check would have pulled up his earlier conviction," Gunther said. "Mr. Alderson was booked in the Roseville City Jail," she said. "Because Alderson was charged with a misdemeanor, he was released on a citation to appear in court." Gunther said that investigators have not discovered any evidence suggesting that Alderson touched or spoke inappropriately to children during those three weeks. "If anyone has information then they need to contact us," she said. According to a police press release, Alderson was originally required to register as a sex offender because of his conviction for a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting children. The misdemeanor charge stems from a June 3, 2005 incident that occurred in Rocklin. According to court documents listed as "statements of facts" and dated Oct. 23, 2006, three girls – ages 12, 13 and 15 – had been swimming when they heard an ice cream truck drive through the neighborhood. Still in their swimsuits, the three girls approached the truck. The girls said that Alderson asked one of them is she had any piercings on certain body parts. After Alderson repeated the question, the girls ran back inside the house. They watched Alderson as he sat inside the truck for a few minutes before driving off. Two of the older girls contacted Christie Jewell, wife of Rocklin police officer Trent Jewell. The girls told her what had happened and she informed her husband. Court documents show that Trent Jewell later talked to Alderson about the incident. After his arrest, he was arraigned and charged with annoying or molesting a child Aug. 19. On court documents listed as "Order granting probation and judgment for monetary penalties" dated Dec. 7, 2006, Alderson was placed on formal probation for three years and sentenced to serve 30 days in the Placer County Jail.Although his sex registrant status was known to law enforcement, he was not on the state's public Megan's Law Web site.Sex offenders can petition the court to be excluded from the public Megan's Law Web site under certain circumstances, such as a misdemeanor conviction.Gunther said the department is continuing its investigation. Anyone who has any other information on this matter is urged to call the Roseville Police Investigations Unit at (916) 774-5070.Brad Smith can be reached at brads@goldcountrymedia.com