Former Sebastopol mayor gets 7 years in prison for lewd conduct with child

A former mayor of Sebastopol on Thursday got seven years in prison for sexual misconduct with a minor, the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office said.

Robert Jacob, 46, met his victim online in early 2020 when the boy was 14 years old. Over the course of the next year, Jacob chatted with the victim and eventually the conversations turned sexual.

Jacob sent the boy lewd videos and the victim would go to Jacob's house in Sebastopol under the guise of doing chores for him, prosecutors said.

Jacob engaged in sexual acts with the boy when he was 14 and 15 years old. Jacob also had the victim engage in sex acts with another man at his home.

Jacob pleaded no contest in January to six felony counts including procuring a child to engage in a lewd act with another adult, sexual penetration of a minor, engaging in a lewd act with a minor, sending lewd material to a minor and communicating with a minor with the intent to commit a sex crime.

"The victim should be commended for coming forward to report what Mr. Jacob did," said District Attorney Carla Rodriguez. "His bravery in reporting Mr. Jacob's crimes has made the community a safer place."

Jacob was elected to the Sebastopol City Council in 2012 and became mayor the following year. He founded the Sebastopol medical marijuana dispensary Peace in Medicine in 2007.