Christopher Ramstead, 47, is accused of nine counts of lewd acts with a minor under 14 years of age. The alleged molestation of three victims occurred during separate time frames between March 2003 and July 2025 in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Ramstead was initially arrested Feb. 4, but was released from jail after posting his $550,000 bond. He was re-arrested on Feb. 6 and was initially held without bail. During his arraignment Monday, Ramstead pleaded not guilty.
His $3.25 million bail was set at a hearing on Friday morning.
"Today was a good day. We are very pleased the judge decided that bail was appropriate, which we've always believed, and we're looking forward to showing that Chris is innocent of all these charges," said Steve Sitkoff, Ramstead's defense attorney.
Ramstead, who remained in custody early Friday afternoon, is required to wear an ankle monitor and be under house arrest if he posts bail and is released from jail. Under the terms of his bail, he must also surrender his passport, is not allowed to use any electronic devices, and may have no other children in his home other than his own.
Eyewitness News asked Ramstead's attorneys if he can post the steep bail.
"Yes. We want him to be home with his children. They miss him. They want him. We want him to have normalcy, and it helps us defend him," Sitkoff said. "So look, now is the real work. We dive into the reports and we start working on getting Chris out from under this, because these charges are just not true."
Ramstead, who lives in Thousand Oaks, was hired by the Pasadena Fire Department in 2005 and promoted to captain in 2016. He was most recently assigned to Fire Station 38 on Linda Vista Avenue, near the Rose Bowl.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the allegations against Ramstead "profound," saying Ramstead was repeatedly placed in positions of trust and emphasized, and he emphasized that no badge or uniform places anyone above the law.
Ramstead's attorneys claim that he is a well respected member of his community.
"The want to have Chris Ramstead back, because they want a dedicated public servant who has been a member of the Pasadena Fire Department for 20 years, protecting all of our communities," Sitkoff said.
In a statement issued last week, the City of Pasadena said they're "aware of the arrest of a Pasadena fire captain while off-duty. The alleged incidents occurred outside the scope of the employee's official duties. The fire captain was immediately put on administrative leave while the investigations take place. Due to active investigations, the city cannot comment any further."
If convicted of the charges against him, Ramstead faces a maximum of 135 years to life in state prison, according to the DA's Office.
The Los Angeles Police Department believes there could be more victims and asked for the public's help. Anyone who may be a victim or has more information about Ramstead is urged to call detectives at (818) 374-5415.