Articles Posted in Sex Crime

A 44-year-old male nursing assistant has been arrested and charged on suspicion of sexual battery on a patient in Los Angeles County. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the incident allegedly occurred at Providence Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills. Officials say the man assaulted the female patient in her hospital bed. Investigators are conducting several interviews to determine if there are other potential victims as well. He faces two counts of sexual battery for the incident and could face more charges if additional patients step forward.

Under California Penal Code 243.4 (b): “Any person who touches an intimate part of another person who is institutionalized for medical treatment and who is seriously disabled or medically incapacitated, if the touching is against the will of the person touched, and if the touching is for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse, is guilty of sexual battery.”
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A 43-year-old gynecologist has been charged with sexually assaulting a patient on two occasions. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the Tarzana doctor is scheduled in court on September 18, 2012. He was arrested on two counts of assaulting a female patient and investigators are searching for other potential victims. The alleged victim says the doctor inappropriately touched her at a Northridge hospital on two occasions. During the second occasion he allegedly “ejaculated on her bed sheets.” The alleged victim took the bed sheet and turned it into the authorities. Prosecutors are going to request that the court order the doctor to suspend his practice until the criminal case is resolved.

Sexual battery in California can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending upon the criminal history of the defendant and the circumstances of the case. Misdemeanor sexual battery typically involves touching an intimate part of the body such as the breast, buttocks, groin, or sexual organ. The touch must be against the will of the victim and the touching must be for sexual arousal, gratification, or abuse. If these types of acts involved an unlawfully restrained or incapacitated victim, the charges may increase to a felony.
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A 51-year-old Garden Grove man was arrested in Orange County for playing tennis in an Irvine park. According to an NBC Los Angeles news report, the man was arrested at Citrus Glen Park in Irvine. Officials say the man is prohibited from entering any park or recreational facility as a registered sex offender. Irvine is one of only 13 cities in Orange County that passed an ordinance which prohibits convicted sex offenders from entering a city park without prior police permission. He has been registered since 1996 when he was convicted for misdemeanor child annoyance in Cypress. He is currently on probation for an indecent exposure conviction in Garden Grove earlier this year.

Irvine’s ordinance went into effect in July 2011. The county ban created child safety zones at county parks and harbors. Anyone registered as a sex offender can only enter these areas after applying for and receiving written permission from the county.
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Jaycee Dugard was forced to live in Phillip Garrido’s backyard for 18 years. According to an ABC News report, the failure by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to find Dugard at a convicted sex offender’s residence has led to changes in the parole system. Many of these changes will result in a considerable loss of rights for individuals convicted of a sex crime.

The CDCR will now conduct polygraph testing and face-to-face evaluations to determine if a convicted sex offender is a low or high risk. The CDCR will also provide full time GPS tracking for all sex offenders regardless of their threat level. Malfunctioning GPS monitors will no longer result in email alerts. Instead, there will be round the clock monitoring that can act fast to determine why the GPS is malfunctioning. There will also be increased efforts to provide drug tests and mental health therapy.
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There has been a spate of lewd behavior allegations against Southern California teachers recently. For example, a Miramonte Elementary School teacher faces 23 counts of committing lewd acts against children and a Los Angeles teacher faces lewd act charges after allegedly feeding students his semen. As a reaction to these serious charges, Sacramento lawmakers attempted to pass a new bill to give school districts the power to fire their teachers before they are convicted of a crime.

According to a news report in the Associated Press, SB1530 would have allowed school boards to dismiss teachers who have been accused of violent, sexual, or drug-related offenses involving children. The bill failed to clear the Assembly Education Committee on June 27, 2012 because of concerns from teachers’ unions that it would harm teachers’ due process rights.

There are many consequences of sex crime convictions involving minors. Individuals do not only face jail time and heavy fines. People who have been convicted of lewd behavior charges will also face a mandatory registration as a sex offender and they often endure a number of social and professional consequences as well. Many accused teachers, for example, may never again be able to obtain a job working with children even if they were not convicted. Even teachers who are found innocent may struggle to find employment after the trial is over.

A 50-year-old San Clemente man who already faces child annoyance charges has been arrested again for a lewd act with a third middle school student. According to a CBS News report, the man was arrested for a second time at his San Clemente home. On June 8, 2012, he pleaded not guilty on two California misdemeanor counts of child annoyance. On June 21, he was arrested on suspicion of lewd acts with a child under 14. Officials say the Shorecliffs Middle School teacher may have had a relationship with the girl for as long as two years. He is now being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

A lewd act with a minor is a serious crime. According to California Penal Code Section 288: “Any person who willfully and lewdly commits any lewd or lascivious act, including any of the acts constituting other crimes provided for in Part 1, upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child who is under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child, is guilty of a felony.”

Individuals convicted of a lewd act with a child under the age of 14 could face felony charges. If convicted, they could face up to eight years in the state prison and a $10,000 fine. Additionally, he or she will have to register as a sex offender and pay for any medical or psychological treatment that the minor incurs.

A 39-year-old Oxnard man who was arrested for assaulting a child in a Wal-Mart may also face charges for up to 20 other sexual assaults. According to an NBC Los Angeles news report, the alleged incident that led to his arrest and began the investigation occurred at the Wal-Mart on North Rose Avenue in Oxnard. Officials say surveillance tape shows the man touching a boy inappropriately as the boy played video games in the store. Investigators are now reviewing surveillance tapes at additional stores to see if there were more potential victims. As they investigate, he is being held in the Ventura County Jail on $50,000 bond and is not available for bail because of an immigration hold.

Committing a lewd act with a child under the age of 14 is a serious crime in California. According to California Penal Code Section 288: “Any person who willfully and lewdly commits any lewd or lascivious act…upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child who is under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child, is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six, or eight years.”

When there are multiple incidents and multiple potential victims, the resulting penalties can be even more substantial. Anyone who is convicted of committing lewd acts against children is looking at prison time, hefty penalties, and mandatory registration as a sex offender.

A 47-year-old Hollywood talent manager who represented young actors has pleaded no contest to two counts of child molestation. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the man faced eight felony counts of molesting an aspiring singer who was under the age of 14. He entered a no-contest plea to two counts of committing lewd acts on a child. A Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge sentenced him to one year in county jail and five years of probation. He will also have to enter a sex offender program and register as a sex offender. In addition, he will no longer be able to have access to any of his young clients without an adult present.

Under California Penal Code Section 288: “Any person who willfully and lewdly commits any lewd or lascivious act, including any of the acts constituting other crimes provided for in Part 1, upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child who is under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child, is guilty of a felony.”

In addition to jail time, individuals convicted of committing a lewd act must register as a sex offender. This could have a negative impact professionally, socially, and financially. Not only are convicted sex offenders required to register, but they are also required to notify local law enforcement agencies about their presence whenever they move. Not doing so in itself is a misdemeanor offense.

A 26-year-old man who worked as a teacher’s aide at Gratts Learning Academy and as a coach at the L.A. Academy of Arts and Enterprise, both at the Westlake District, has been arrested on charges of committing lewd acts with a child. According to a CBS News report, the man was arrested and bail was set at $100,000. The age of the alleged victim and the circumstances of the incident have not yet been released. The aide has been fired by the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is not clear if there were other children involved.

According to California Penal Code Section 488 (a), a lewd or lascivious act against a child under 14 is defined as any act that is performed “with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions or sexual desires of that person or the child.” Lewd act against a child is a felony crime in California, punishable by imprisonment in state prison for up to eight years. Additional counts could result in a lengthier prison sentence. In addition, convicted individuals will also be required to register with the U.S. Department of Justice’s sex offender database.

As seen in this case, even the accusation of a sex crime can have serious consequences on an individual’s career and future. This is particularly true if the person is working with or around children. If you have been accused of a sex crime against a child, it is critical that you obtain quality legal representation to fight the charges and clear your reputation.

A 48-year-old registered sex offender was arrested at a Los Angeles area motel after he was accused of making harassing and obscene phone calls to a business associated with children. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, police were called to the business after the owner reported receiving several “graphic and sexual telephone calls.” Covina police then put a trace on the business’s phone allowing them to capture the telephone number the next time a call came in. Detectives tracked the phone number to the sex offender registered with the Glendora Police Department. The man was apparently residing in various motels in Los Angeles and Orange counties. His prior offenses include indecent exposure and child annoyance.

Being convicted of a sex offense in Los Angeles can have very serious consequences. A convicted sex offender often faces jail or prison time depending on the seriousness of the allegations. In addition, sex offenders are also required to register with local law enforcement agencies. Convicted sex offenders, even if they have served their time, have a tough time getting a job, finding a place to live, and reintegrating back into society.

With every conviction, life can get more and more difficult. That is why it is important that every charge, whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony, be fought aggressively. Anyone facing sex crime charges in Los Angeles would be well advised to contact an experience criminal defense lawyer who will protect their rights. The skilled Los Angeles County sex crime defense attorneys at Sitkoff & Hanrahan have been able to get sex crime charges reduced or dismissed for our clients. Please contact us at (866) 430-8383 for a no-cost consultation.