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Authorities Friday sought the public's help to find possible additional victims of a man police said is serving a five-year prison sentence for committing lewd acts with several minors.
Princeton Bloome was arrested June 25, 2020, on suspicion of sexual assault, the Los Angeles Police Department reported.
“Bloome would seek out minor children online and pose as a 17-year- old,” an LAPD statement said. “He used false identities and fabricated stories about his lifestyle. After forming an online relationship with victims, he would meet them in person and sexually assault them.”
Police say Bloome sexually assaulted a 13-year-old in 2018 in the Topanga area.
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“After meeting the victim online, he lured the victim to a location where the sexual assault occurred,” police said. “Bloome met with the victim several times during a one-month period. During that month, Bloome used threats of harm to the victim and the victim's family to continue seeing the victim.”
In January 2020, Bloome allegedly sexually assaulted a 13-year-old in the North Hollywood area, police said. “Bloome also threatened harm to this victim and this victim's family,” police said.
In May 2020, he allegedly committed a similar crime in the West Los Angeles area after meeting a 16-year-old online. “Bloome met with and sexually assaulted the victim,” police said.
Bloome was taken into custody by the LAPD on June 25, 2020, in connection with the West Los Angeles and Topanga incidents, police said.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Bloome in June 2020 with nine counts of lewd acts with a minor and one count of criminal threats, according to a police statement. He was sentenced to five years in a state prison.
Investigators discovered on May 3 an additional victim allegedly assaulted by Bloome in 2016, police said. Bloome allegedly associated with a group of teenagers, including the victim, while at a shopping center in Los Angeles.
Bloome allegedly battered the victim while at the shopping center, but the victim's friends intervened and were able to prevent further harm, police said. Investigators also discovered on May 5 two victims in the San Clemente area. Bloome allegedly reached out to the victims through social media, where he threatened one of the victims and her family with violence, police said.
Bloome allegedly attempted to lure the second victim to the Santa Barbara area, police said. However, neither of the victims met with Bloome. Police believe there may be additional victims of Bloome that have not come forward and asked anyone with information to contact LAPD North Hollywood Sexual Assault Detectives at 818-754-8435 or 818-754-8436.
