A 67-year-old man from Picabo, located in Blaine County, Idaho, is facing a misdemeanor charge in California. 

Garth Mendenhall Clark has been charged with one count of child annoyance, but an investigation is ongoing, said Sgt. Lisa Bowman, spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.

The charge stems from an incident that allegedly took place at a Halloween store on Oct. 21. A parent told store officials that Clark appeared to be observing children, Bowman said, adding that a security guard also reportedly saw him taking pictures of a child with the camera on his phone. Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department was contacted at that point. 

Bowman said they discovered not only photos of a little girl who had been at the store on the phone, but also 50 additional pictures of young girls. The photos were of their clothed backsides, she said. 

Authorities are now trying to track down the other girls in the photos and retrieve some deleted pictures from the phone to determine if any additional charges are warranted, Bowman said. 

Clark was visiting family members in Sacramento County when the incident allegedly occurred, Bowman said, adding that he also mentioned having been in the Idaho Falls area during an interview. 

Authorities are urging anyone who thinks their child may have unknowingly been photographed by Clark to contact them at 916-874-3002. People can also leave tips by calling 916-874-8477, texting 274637 and entering the keyword “SSD”, or visiting www.sacsheriff.com.