Former Sebastopol Mayor Robert Jacob was arrested by city police on Saturday, as confirmed by Sebastopol Police Chief Kevin Kilgore.
The 44-year-old ex-Mayor was arrested under allegations involving sexual misconduct against at least one minor.
“On March 30, 2021, Sebastopol police officers received information of possible sexual assaults that occurred in the City of Sebastopol between December 2019 and March 2021,” reads the release from the Sebastopol Police Department. “Upon investigation, the suspect was identified as Robert Jacob. On April 10, 2021, at approximately 7:00 a.m., Sebastopol police officers contacted Robert Jacob in the 7400 block of Woodland Avenue and took him into custody for an arrest warrant related to five felony and one misdemeanor sexual assault crimes against a minor, including 266j PC, 288(c)(1) PC, 88.2(a)(1) PC, 288.2(a)(2) PC, 288.4(a)(1) PC, and 289(i) PC.”
The statement also states that Jacor was transported to the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility and is being held without bail. Currently, the investigation is still “ongoing” and “anyone with information is asked to contact the Sebastopol Police Department at 707-829-4400 and refer to Report #21-0220.”
Current Mayor Uno Glass was notified of the arrest by the city manager and chief of police. At that time, Glass is still unaware of the allegations against Jacob.
Jacob is “no longer on [Sebastopol City Council],” Glass said to the news outlet. “This is very, very disappointing, and I hope the victims of anything that he has done are taken care (of) … it’s extremely disappointing.”
Jacob headed the Sebastopol medical marijuana dispensary Peace in Medicine in 2007, later on, it merged with the SPARC dispensary. In 2012, due to the support from voters, he was elected City Council.
In 2013, Jacob was elected mayor by council members and is one of the first mayors with a background in the medical marijuana industry.
n a statement on social media, SPARC’s Erich Pearson said, “The allegations against Robert Jacob, who has not been affiliated or associated with SPARC for several years, involve horrible and unconscionable actions. These abuses of power have no place in our communities nor our society, and have gone on for far too long. Our hearts and support go out to the victim and their families, and we at SPARC wish to make a clear statement that we believe victims and survivors, and this behavior in no way reflects on the culture and values that we hold dear.”
